Media Release: Nelson Mandela statue and exhibition to honour icon’s links to the Western Cape
When he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Cape Town in 1997, Nelson Mandela said ‘Cape Town’s greatness lies not only in its contribution to our economy but in its involvement in our country’s history”.
Former President Mandela is a global icon, but so much of his remarkable life story, is tied to the Western Cape.
The City of Cape Town, and the Western Cape Government wanted to share this story with the world, which is why, as part of Project Khulisa, the economic development strategy for the region, a Madiba Legacy route was envisaged. The route will allow visitors to follow in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps and visit key sites in the province such as Robben Island where he was imprisoned for most of his sentence, and Parliament, where he was sworn in as President in 1994. The focus for the current year has been on developing the City Hall site, where he gave his iconic first speech as a free man to thousands of people in February 1990, and the linkage with Madiba House at Drakenstein Prison. This is where Mandela spent the last 14 months of his prison sentence, and where negotiations between the apartheid government and the liberation movement took place. It is also from here that the former president took his first steps as a free man.
The City Hall project includes a bronze artwork which will be unveiled on the balcony later this month, as well as an exhibition documenting Madiba’s life in the city.
The process:
Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille and the provincial ministers for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde and Cultural Affairs and Sport Anroux Marais, agreed to collaborate to memorialise Nelson Mandela in Cape Town.
Council resolved in August 2017 to approve a new memorial on the balcony of the City Hall.
The City is specifically involved to implement the Council resolution to place the Madiba statue on the balcony and a new exhibition at the City Hall.
A tender for the creation of the statue was advertised and the bid awarded to Koketso Growth, a company owned by the son of ANC and struggle stalwarts Oliver and Adelaide Tambo. Dali Tambo has for several years been the driving force behind a project to memorialise South African heroes, with a statue park in Pretoria.
Kokesto appointed artists Xhanti Mpakama and Barry Jackson to create the piece.
Mpakama is a young artist, born near to where Nelson Mandela grew up in the Eastern Cape, while Jackson is an experienced bronze sculptor who has crafted artworks of several historical figures for the National Heritage Project. Both artists worked on the Mandela bust which takes pride of place in front of the National Assembly at South African Parliament.
The exhibition:
The exhibition focuses on Mr Mandela’s life and times in Cape Town, the people and organisations involved in the liberation struggle in Cape Town and the events leading up to Mr Mandela’s release and his iconic address on the balcony of the City Hall on 11 February 1990.
Madiba, the global icon:
MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde said: “Nelson Mandela is one of a handful of people who we can really call a global icon. He selflessly gave so much of himself for the people of South Africa, but his message of peace and tolerance endeared him to the world. We wanted to celebrate him and pay tribute and for us, there was no better way to do that than by developing a route that would tell his story to the world, but also create opportunities for the people of this province.”
Mayor Patricia de Lille said “Mandela had a very close connection with Cape Town as it was here that he was imprisoned and here that he was finally set free and delivered his first speech as a free man from the City Hall balcony. It is therefore fitting that we honour him in this way in the Mother City as we commemorate 100 years since the birth of a world icon who sacrificed so much for our freedom and democracy. As we mark this momentous occasion this year, we must all do more to emulate his example and serve those who need our help most. In doing so we can make greater strides in building a caring and inclusive city and ensuring that the work of Mandela in fighting for our rights and freedoms is felt by all.”
Media Enquiries:
Bianca Capazorio
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Economic Opportunities
Tel: +27 21 403 3550
Cell: +27 72 372 7044
Email: bianca.capazorio@westerncape.gov.za
OR
Zara Nicholson
Spokesperson for the Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille.
Tel: 021 400 4998
Cell: 079 416 5996