Anant Singh buys Nelson Mandela s memorabilia

The producer of a new Nelson Mandela film bought Wednesday for 95,000 dollars a collection of the former South African presidents personal items, including his photograph with boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

The successful bidder at 950,000 rand (70,000 euros), Anant Singh, is the producer of a long-awaited film, Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, on the life of the anti-apartheid hero to be released on Thursday.

The assortment of 79 signed mementos at the rare auction date from 1964 to 2010 and include the historic speech the peace icon delivered from the dock in 1964 during the Rivonia Trial that sent him to prison.

I think its a fair price. I think the seller got a good price, the buyer got a great price, said Alan Demby, president of the Johannesburg-based auction house Stephan Welz & Co.

Its more about what (Mandela) represents than the actual items. Its not rare, its almost priceless. And I think thats what makes it such a fascinating collection, Demby said.

The collection also includes Mandelas picture with ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela entering a packed stadium in Soweto to address supporters after his release from jail in 1990

A 1988 concert pass for Mandelas 70th birthday tribute at Londons Wembley Stadium and a bottle of wine are also among the memorabilia.

The frail 95-year-old had become South Africas first black president in 1994, after the fall of the whites-only apartheid regime.

Mandela is currently battling ill health under intensive care at his home, after spending almost three months in hospital receiving treatment for a recurring respiratory infection.

The biopic is largely based on Mandelas autobiography and traces the life of the revered leader from his childhood in the rural Eastern Cape to his election as the countrys first black president in 1994.

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/anant-singh-buys-nelson...
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