Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

NPR News

The key to Nelson Mandela's Robben Island prison cell is returning to South Africa

Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Bill Clinton look to the outside from Mandela's Robben Island prison cell in Cape Town, South Africa, in this photo from March 27, 1998.
Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Bill Clinton look to the outside from Mandela's Robben Island prison cell in Cape Town, South Africa, in this photo from March 27, 1998.
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Plans to auction off the key that kept Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and legendary anti-apartheid activist, behind bars are off.

The auction house, New York City-based Guernsey's, planned to hold an auction of items belonging to Mandela — including the key to his Robben Island prison cell — later this month. Bidding was expected to begin at $250,000.

Mandela was held at Robben Island prison for 18 of his 27 years behind bars in South Africa. In 1964, he was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to overthrow South Africa's racist apartheid system. In 1994, he was elected the nation's first Black president and remains a global icon.

Mandela died in 2013 at the age of 95.

Support for LAist comes from

Officials in South Africa rejected Guernsey's plans, arguing the key is a part of South African history and belongs to the country.

In a statement that commends Guernsey's for canceling the auction of the key, South Africa's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa said: "The key symbolizes South Africa's painful history whilst also representing triumph of the human spirit over evil."

"This key is living proof of South Africans' long walk to freedom and belongs to the people of South Africa," he continued. "It therefore must rightfully be returned to the country."

The auction house has begun efforts to return the key to South Africa, Mthethwa added.

Guernsey's president Arlan Ettinger shared details of the items originally set for auction, in an interview on CNN's Michael Smerconish's SiriusXM podcast.

Ettinger said the Robben Island key, an exercise bike Mandela used in his cell, as well as a tennis racquet he had in prison, were previously owned by Christo Brand, a prison guard who later became close friends with the anti-apartheid leader.

Ettinger also shared details of the other items previously up for auction that were given to Guernsey's by the Mandela family. Those included: the shirt worn by Mandela when he was released from prison, a blanket gifted to Mandela by former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and a charcoal drawing of a broken chain signed by Mandela.

Support for LAist comes from

Guernsey's says on its website that its Nelson Mandela auction is postponed for now as the South African Heritage Resources Agency review the other pieces set for auction.

It's unclear whether the auction house plans to continue the sale of the rest of the items offered by Mandela's family.

Details of the when or how the Robben Island key will return to South Africa will be released to the public at a later time.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist