A South African court has dismissed an appeal by the country's heritage body to stop the sale and export of various artefacts connected to anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.
The 70 personal items include a cell key from Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years he was locked up, a pair of Aviator sunglasses, and one of his signature floral shirts. They were due to be exported to the US for auction.
The objects belong to his eldest daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, and Christo Brand, a Robben Island warden during Mandela's incarceration.
In trying to stop their sale, the authorities claimed the items were part of the country's heritage and therefore legally protected from export.
The South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) first discovered the potential sale through a British newspaper article from late 2021, which indicated that the key would sell for over £1m ($1.35m).
Sahra wrote to the US auction house, Guernsey, requesting to suspend the auction and return the items to South Africa.
Other items in the collection include a copy of the 1996 South African Constitution personally signed by Mandela, one of his charcoal drawings, an ID card, a tennis racquet used on Robben Island, and gifts from world leaders, including a notable one from former US President Barack Obama.
Mandela's daughter intended to use the auction proceeds to build a memorial garden at her father's grave in Qunu, Mthatha.
The Supreme Court of Appeal argued that Sahra's interpretation of what items fell under the National Heritage Resources Act was overly broad, emphasizing that Makaziwe and Brand provided substantial explanations on why their assets were not heritage objects, while Sahra failed to substantiate its claims.
Future legal actions by the authorities to block the sale remain uncertain, and Makaziwe, Mandela's only daughter with his first wife, welcomed the ruling. She criticized Sahra for attempting to presume her father's wishes.
Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, passed away in 2013, and he is celebrated for leading the African National Congress during its struggle against apartheid.
