The green ID book of former president Nelson Mandela, which is to be auctioned next month, will not go cheap. Auctioneers have set a minimum price of $75,000 (R1.4m) and expect it will go for more.
The ID was among 70 listed items belonging to the former president which will go under the hammer on February 22 by Guernsey's, an auction service company.
Advertising the green book Guernsey’s said: “Upon his release from prison three decades later he received this [ID] as his first and only legitimate identification book in post-apartheid South Africa. Meanwhile, this [book] serves as a reminder of the all-too-recent era of apartheid and Mandela’s transition from a political prisoner to a pre-eminent South African politician and human rights leader.”
While there has been much criticism on home ground over the sale of Mandela’s ID, there seem to be people desperate to get their hands on it.
According to the auctioneer's live page hosting the sale, there were already four bidders watching the item on Friday.
The South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) is going ahead with plans to fight for some of Mandela's items not to be auctioned by his daughter Makaziwe Mandela, but the ID was not mentioned in court papers.
The agency wants 29 items belonging to Mandela to be declared heritage objects. Last year, Sahra lost the case against Makaziwe in the high court in Pretoria. The agency, supported by sport, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa, filed an appeal three weeks ago.
“The application is pending before the high court. Sahra, the department and the Robben Island Museum are urgently assessing the lawfulness and implications of the impending auction and considering all available remedies,” the agency said.
Here are some the other items to be sold and prices:
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