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SCA ruling opens door for auctioning of Mandela's broken prison key
Cape Times
|January 23, 2026
THE SA Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) has failed in its Supreme Court of Appeal case to stop the sale or export of various assets belonging to Dr Makaziwe Mandela and former president Nelson Mandela's prison warder Christo Brand.
Sahra, as well as the Robben Island Museum and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, had asked that Mandela’s daughter and his former prison warder be interdicted from selling the struggle icon’s key to his Robben Island prison cell and other artefacts associated with him. Other items include a copy of the 1996 Constitution signed by the former president before the final version was formally executed.
The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria turned down the application. Sahra and the others (the appellants) subsequently turned to the SCA to appeal the refusal by three judges.
Sahra contended that these assets formed part of South Africa’s national estate and constituted heritage objects under the National Heritage Resources Act.
This story is from the January 23, 2026 edition of Cape Times.
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