Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are still being utilised for humanitarian purposes, with South Africa being the most recent example. A digitised compilation of Nelson Mandela’s original arrest warrant from more than 50 years ago was auctioned for more than $130,000 to help build a heritage site. The revenues will go to the Liliesleaf Museum Heritage Site, which has also housed the original document since 2004. The sale was held on Momint, an NFT marketplace, and its CEO stated that the cash would assist the “museum sites stay viable.”
The museum has suffered greatly as a result of the absence of tourism caused by COVID-19. So this is a method to renew their flow while still preserving history, he stressed. Before becoming South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela was a member of a political party (the African National Congress—ANC). He became a leader of Johannesburg’s youth division and then deputy national president. The party’s mission was to combat white supremacy and racial discrimination. However, following the killing of black protesters in 1960, Nelson helped form a paramilitary component of the ANC to engage in guerrilla warfare.
He was detained for treason in 1961 before being freed, and he was imprisoned again in 1962 for illegally leaving the country and encouraging employees to strike. He was imprisoned for over 30 years until being freed on February 11, 1990.
Fast forward to March 2022, and his legacy lives on digitally. According to sources, his original arrest warrant was auctioned off as NFT for 1.9 million rands ($130,000) to help build a cultural monument depicting the country’s battles for democracy.
