Residents have been invited to have their say on the proposed Madiba statue at City Hall.
The City of Cape Town’s Naming and Nomination Committee this morning (8 February 2017) recommended that the City undertake a public participation process regarding the proposal to commemorate the life and work of the late President Nelson Mandela with a statue and exhibition at City Hall.
The proposed project will be a joint effort between the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport.
It is proposed that the statue be installed at the City Hall balcony where Madiba delivered his first public address to thousands of residents after his release from the then Victor Verster Prison in 1990.
Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said: “Madiba was one of the world’s most beloved human rights activists. Faced with leading a fractured society after the end of apartheid, Madiba encouraged tolerance, respect and the possibility of unity. We live during a time when these values are under threat; we have seen recent global events erode these principles. The proposed Madiba heritage route, which is focused on sites of significance during his lifetime, will allow us to share his legacy and his message with the world.
“We proposed this statue as part of Project Khulisa, our plan to add up to 100 000 jobs to the tourism industry through new, compelling attractions. We hope this route will offer an authentic experience to visitors, allowing them to share a piece of South Africa’s rich heritage.”
Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais said, “There is an increasing need to showcase our history in public spaces to remind us where we come from, what we have collectively achieved and where we should be going as a nation. The proposed memorialisation of the late great statesman, Nelson Mandela, will indeed highlight this necessity and at the same time it will afford the public, both local and visitors, the opportunity to situate the importance of not only the first speech Madiba delivered as a free man but the role the City of Cape Town played in our journey to democracy. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport is committed to contributing to nation building and accelerating the transformation of our heritage and it is for this reason that we welcome the proposed memorialisation of Madiba at City Hall”.
Bronwynne Jooste
Spokesperson: Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities
Responsible for Tourism, Economic Development and Agriculture
Western Cape Government
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
Stacy McLean
Spokesperson for Anroux Marais, Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Western Cape Government
Tel: 021 483 4426
Mobile: 083 504 1171