Court Ruling Allows Sale of Nelson Mandela's Belongings

Fri Jan 23 2026 20:00:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A South African court has ruled in favor of the sale of personal items belonging to Nelson Mandela, including his prison key and iconic shirt, after his daughter won a legal battle against heritage authorities.

In a landmark decision, a South African court has dismissed an appeal by the South African Heritage Resources Agency to prevent the sale of 70 personal items belonging to Nelson Mandela, allowing his daughter to proceed with the auction. Items include a cell key from Robben Island and his famous floral shirts, with proceeds intended for a memorial garden at his grave. The ruling highlights the complexities surrounding heritage items and raises concerns over what should be preserved for future generations.

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.

The authorities argued that these items were part of the country's heritage and should not be sold or exported, but the court found their interpretation overly broad.

The ruling allows for the auction to proceed, raising ongoing debates about cultural heritage and the rights of a historical figure's family to profit from related items.

Mandela's daughter plans to use the proceeds from the sale to build a memorial garden at his grave in Qunu, Eastern Cape, amidst mixed public reactions regarding the sale of such important heritage items.