The Constitutional Court is hearing a dispute on Tuesday over a proposed New York auction of personal items that belonged to former president Nelson Mandela.
Mandela’s eldest daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, wants to auction dozens of objects, including patterned shirts, handwritten letters, the green identity document he used to vote in South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994 and his hearing aid.
The South African Heritage Resources Agency, Robben Island Museum and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture oppose the proposed sale and export of the items.
They argue that the objects form part of South Africa’s heritage and should not leave the country. The Constitutional Court has not yet issued a final ruling on the dispute.
The case turns on the legal status of the items and whether heritage protections apply to them. A court hearing does not itself determine ownership or authorise an auction.
Mandela died in December 2013. His estate has not yet been wound up, according to the account published by eNCA early on Tuesday.
The proposed auction has prompted a long-running dispute between members of the Mandela family and institutions responsible for protecting heritage resources.
Tuesday’s proceedings place the competing private-property and heritage claims before the country’s highest court. The outcome will determine the next legal step for the collection and the proposed international sale.
