JOHANNESBURG - Nelson Mandela's eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela- Amuah is in a bitter legal battle with the SA Heritage Resources Agency.
She wants to sell some of her father's items.
The agency and the Department of Arts and Culture want this halted under the national resources act.
Spokesperson Ben Mwasinga says are number of reasons for this.
He said, "a lot of the items, such as T-shirts...signed copies of books, letters and the Robben Island Key are very significant."
"[The] key belongs to [the] Robben Island [Museum] which is a state institution and was a prison at the time, therefore it's the only item Sahra is disputing because it shouldn't have been in private ownership in the first place."
"There are many other individuals who these items are sentimental to, for example ex political prisoners who were also in Robben Island."
"The permit itself isn't to stop the sale of objects, but regulate the process do all affected parties can also express their desirability to have these objects transferred out of the country."
"Yes, there are a lot of them considered significant. But again, as the law states: any objects relating to former leaders in South Africa.