South Africa moves to stop auction of Mandela’s island jail cell key

Johannesburg, December 25

South Africa has initiated urgent steps to halt the auction of the key to the jail cell on Robben Island.

The online auction on January 28, announced by US-based Guernsey’s Auctions, is expected to fetch more than a million pounds.

Sports‚ arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa has ordered an investigation into reports that the key had been provided to Guernsey by Christo Brand, who was Mandela’s jailer and later became a tour guide on Robben Island, as part of reconciliation attempts after the anti-apartheid icon ascended to power. Mthethwa said it was a serious matter, which is receiving attention at the highest levels.

He said the master key to the Robben Island cells was still there, so the investigation would determine whether Mandela’s cell key was duplicated. “It is unfathomable for Guernsey’s‚ which is clearly aware of the painful history of our country and the symbolism of the key‚ to consider auctioning it without any consultation with the South African government‚ the heritage authorities in South Africa and Robben Island Museum.

“This key belongs to the people of South Africa…It is not anyone’s personal belonging‚” Mthethwa told the news channel EWN.

No individual has the right to possess this important object of cultural and heritage significance. Robben Island is a national monument and national museum, and is also a World Heritage Site, declared by UNESCO in 1999, and therefore is governed by so many heritage declarations, he said.

“Anything that has to do with Robben Island is under the care of Robben Island Museum Council. Anybody who wants anything has to go through that,” the minister said. — PTI