It has been 11 years since the death of the first South African black president, Nelson Mandela. Since then, his family has made all types of headlines, including abandoning the Mandela home at 12th Avenue in Houghton. It has been reported that his eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela is moving forward with an auction in February of the former president's personal belongings after a two-year legal battle with the South African government.

Makaziwe Mandela

FIRST SALE

The South African government tried to block the sale of the valuable pieces saying the items were artefacts of national heritage. The South African government had initially blocked Makaziwe's efforts to sell the items but won the court judgment. South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA,) said they were urgently assessing the lawfulness and implications of the auction.

FUNDRAISING

Mandela's daughter is going ahead and will be auctioning off valuable pieces such as his hearing aid, a blanket given to Mandela by Barak and Michelle Obama, his green ID book which he received after his release from prison, spectacles and a customised Madiba shirt. Guernsey's auction house in New York plans to auction 70 of his belongings as part of a fundraising for the establishment of a memorial garden. In a previous interview, Makaziwe said, every time the SA government has gone to court, they have lost. They don't have any leg to stand on.' Mandla Mandela, the tribal chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council and the grandson of Nelson Mandela. declined an opportunity to comment to ZiMoja on the matter.