Writing Art History Since 2002

First Title

MANDELA AND DE KLERK ON KILIMANJARO

artsouthafrica issues
An historic and unique South African Flag
comes up for sale at Stephan Welz & Company (Pty) Limited on 19 April
2011. It is no ordinary flag. The
signatures of President Nelson Mandela and Vice President F. W. De Klerk adorn
it — but with a difference.

On 9th November 1994, Mr Muller
Rademeyer of Misgund, Cape received a reply from the office of the President
acknowledging receipt of his letter requesting a S. A. Flag signed by the
President and Vice-President of South Africa. On 7th March 1995 the President’s office advised
him that the office did not carry supplies of S. A. Flags for issue to the
general public. Undaunted,
Rademeyer scouted around and found that a National Flag was procurable from National
Flag Company, Bellville, Cape Town.
Through contacts in the Office of the President he managed to arrange
for President Mandela and Vice-President de Klerk to sign the flag. This they did on the consecutive days
18th May 1995 and 19th May 1995.

Rademeyer had been involved in a multiplehead-on collision on 10 April 1990. As part of the programme in which he had to learn to walk
again after a series of reconstructive operations, Rademeyer had set himself a
goal to climb Africa’s highest mountain within four years. The rapid political change in South
Africa had caused Rademeyer to add another dimension to his plans — to be the
first to raise the new S. A. Flag on top of the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro, in
Tanzania. How stupendous to have a
new S. A. Flag signed by President Mandela and Vice-President de Klerk, the
architects of the New South Africa, hoisted on top of Kilimanjaro. This was carried out by Rademeyer, now
aged 66, on the top of Kilimanjaro, on the morning of 8th June 1995.

This “once off” unique National Flag of S.
A., which breathes the spirit and symbolism of the New South Africa, the
African Revolution and Uhuru, linked to the iconic Kilimanjaro, is offered with
all the necessary provenance — letters from the President’s Office, colour copy
of the Certificate issued to Rademeyer certifying his successful climb of Mount
Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa up to Gillman’s point — 5685 metres high,
pack of original photographs capturing the event annotated by Rademeyer, photostat
from Rademeyer’s diary written up on Kilimanjaro and a full affidavit recording
the event in detail. This flag
carries the signatures of Mandela and De Klerk — signed and dated while they
were in the office in Cape Town and then flown on Kilimanjaro. It was no signed afterthought once the
event had taken place. This makes
the flag unique.

The flag is appropriately framed, with documentation and is expected to realise between R100,000 and R120,000.

For further information contact Peter Digbyat Stephan Welz & Company (Pty) Limited on 011 880 3125 or visit ourwebsite

www.swelco.co.za

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