The online auction had been scheduled by New York-based Guernsey's auction house on February 24, in conjunction with Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest daughter of the anti-apartheid icon and South Africa's first democratically elected President who died in 2013. It had received widespread criticism from the public and the South African government, which is supporting a court application by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, or SAHRA, to appeal an earlier court judgment that gave the auction the go-ahead. A note on the auctioneers' website on Tuesday indicated that the auction had been suspended without providing any further details. SAHRA said in statement that the suspension is a result of its engagement with Dr. Mandela and the auction house. "SAHRA welcomes the decision by Guernsey’s Auction House to suspend the auction," the agency said.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 31, 2024 06:08 UTC