By PTIJOHANNESBURG: South Africa has initiated urgent steps to halt the auction of the key to the jail cell on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years as a political prisoner before becoming the country's first democratically-elected president. He said the master key to the Robben Island cells was still there, so the investigation would determine whether Mandela's cell key was duplicated. "It is unfathomable for Guernsey's which is clearly aware of the painful history of our country and the symbolism of the key to consider auctioning the key without any consultation with the South African government the heritage authorities in South Africa and Robben Island Museum. "Anything that has to do with Robben Island is under the care of Robben Island Museum Council. Mandela, who died aged 95 in December 2013, was elected as the first president of democratic South Africa in May 1994 and served in the role until June 1999.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 25, 2021 23:40 UTC