The Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to SA's last apartheid president FW de Klerk has reportedly been stolen from his Cape Town home.
According to reports, the award was stolen six months ago. The theft is being investigated by Cape Town police.
“I can confirm that the Nobel Peace Prize belonging to FW de Klerk was stolen from his home earlier this year,” FW de Klerk Foundation legacy manager, Brenda Steyn, told AFP.
De Klerk died last November after a long battle with cancer. He was 85.
Why was De Klerk awarded the prize?
De Klerk received the prize in 1993, alongside late former president Nelson Mandela, “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic SA”.
The Nobel Peace Committee said from their different points of departure, Mandela and De Klerk reached agreement on the principles for a transition to a new political order based on the tenet of one-man-one-vote.
“By looking ahead to South African reconciliation instead of back at the deep wounds of the past, they have shown personal integrity and great political courage.
“Ethnic disparities cause the bitterest conflicts. SA has been the symbol of racially-conditioned suppression. Mandela’s and De Klerk’s constructive policy of peace and reconciliation also points the way to the peaceful resolution of similar deep-rooted conflicts elsewhere in the world.”
How much is the Nobel prize worth?
The prize is an 18-carat gold medal and weighs 196 grams. Each prize is said to be worth about $969,000 (about R17m). It is handed out with a diploma and gold medal.
The Nobel prize medal may be worth even more than its weight in gold if it goes on auction.
In 2015, Nobel laureate Leon Max Lederman's Nobel prize sold at auction for $765,000 (R13m). Lederman's family used the money to pay for medical bills associated with the scientist's battle with dementia.
A Nobel prize medal was sold by Christie’s in 2014 for $4.76m. It was awarded to James Watson in 1962.
Earlier this year, Russian journalist and media personality Dmitry Muratov sold his Nobel prize on auction to help those in Ukraine. It reportedly sold for $103m (R1.8bn).
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FW de Klerk’s Nobel prize reportedly stolen — here's what it's worth
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The Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to SA's last apartheid president FW de Klerk has reportedly been stolen from his Cape Town home.
According to reports, the award was stolen six months ago. The theft is being investigated by Cape Town police.
“I can confirm that the Nobel Peace Prize belonging to FW de Klerk was stolen from his home earlier this year,” FW de Klerk Foundation legacy manager, Brenda Steyn, told AFP.
De Klerk died last November after a long battle with cancer. He was 85.
Why was De Klerk awarded the prize?
De Klerk received the prize in 1993, alongside late former president Nelson Mandela, “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic SA”.
The Nobel Peace Committee said from their different points of departure, Mandela and De Klerk reached agreement on the principles for a transition to a new political order based on the tenet of one-man-one-vote.
“By looking ahead to South African reconciliation instead of back at the deep wounds of the past, they have shown personal integrity and great political courage.
“Ethnic disparities cause the bitterest conflicts. SA has been the symbol of racially-conditioned suppression. Mandela’s and De Klerk’s constructive policy of peace and reconciliation also points the way to the peaceful resolution of similar deep-rooted conflicts elsewhere in the world.”
How much is the Nobel prize worth?
The prize is an 18-carat gold medal and weighs 196 grams. Each prize is said to be worth about $969,000 (about R17m). It is handed out with a diploma and gold medal.
The Nobel prize medal may be worth even more than its weight in gold if it goes on auction.
In 2015, Nobel laureate Leon Max Lederman's Nobel prize sold at auction for $765,000 (R13m). Lederman's family used the money to pay for medical bills associated with the scientist's battle with dementia.
A Nobel prize medal was sold by Christie’s in 2014 for $4.76m. It was awarded to James Watson in 1962.
Earlier this year, Russian journalist and media personality Dmitry Muratov sold his Nobel prize on auction to help those in Ukraine. It reportedly sold for $103m (R1.8bn).
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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