Numerical reproduction of Mandela's arrest warrant, at auction

A digital reproduction “NFT” of the only arrest warrant against the hero of the anti-apartheid struggle, Nelson Mandela, found and kept in archives, will be auctioned on Saturday in Cape Town, announced the South African company Momint.

“A digital version of the original 1961 arrest warrant against Nelson Mandela was specially designed and will go on sale 61 years after it was issued,” the online auction platform said in a statement Wednesday.

“NFTs” are certificates of authenticity and ownership based on “blockchain” (blockchain) technology, a system considered inviolable that also authenticates cryptocurrency transactions.

The first black South African president was arrested on August 5, 1962, in the east of the country. Undercover, he led the armed struggle of the African National Congress (ANC).

The original document, now yellowed and with gnawed edges, is written in English and in Afrikaans, a colonial language derived from Dutch.

It is kept in the archives of Liliesleaf's farm in Johannesburg, which will receive the sum generated by the sale.

This place of the struggle against apartheid — transformed into a museum and where Nelson Mandela lived underground, disguised as a gardener or chauffeur — closed its doors in September 2021 due to financial difficulties.

Technically, this is a request by the prosecution to a judge, who has sole authority, to issue a valid arrest warrant against Nelson Mandela. Several similar forms were reportedly signed by the power of attorney.

“It is believed that this is the type of document that was used to arrest Mandela,” Nicholas Wolpe, director of the Lilieslief Foundation, explained to AFP, stating that it is the only copy known to date.

cld/ger/sba/mab/mb