High-profile guests will be invited to attend the unveiling of towering statues of former ANC presidents Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela that have stood under wraps in Durban for months.
Durban’s mayoral spokesperson Mluleki Mntungwa told the Sunday Times the unveiling of the statues, which have been met with anger from ratepayers over the R22m price tag, will take place at “the end of January or early February”.
Late last year, eThekwini municipality approved an additional R1m for the storage, erection and unveiling of the statues.
“Planning meetings in preparation for the unveiling ceremony have commenced and high-profile guests are expected to attend,” said Mntungwa.
The 9m bronze statue of Tambo, which cost R11m and towers over OR Tambo Parade in the North Beach precinct, and the R11m Mandela statue near the Moses Mabhida Stadium. baffled holidaymakers during the festive season as they were wrapped in plastic sheeting.
Some took to social media to ask what the “mummies” were, while irate ratepayers continued to express their anger over eThekwini municipality spending money on a heritage project while ignoring the backlog of challenges ranging from water infrastructure to homes for people displaced by floods.
DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen said there was no public participation and the DA vehemently opposed the R22m project.
“Late last year, the city approved another R1m for the erection and unveiling of the statue. Ratepayers and civic associations in the city are angry at the decision, especially because thousands of residents are struggling every day to pay their bills to the city, yet the city spends our money on projects like this that will add no value whatsoever to the development of our city,” he said.
Hoosen said eThekwini leadership had argued the statues were intended to enhance the experience of visitors to the city but they remained under wraps during peak season.
“The statues will forever be a symbol of embarrassment for the city and a reminder of how our city wastes public funds. Instead of repairing crumbling water and sanitation infrastructure, they dabble in vanity projects. Instead of building houses to eradicate the 600 informal settlements in the city, they focus on investing in ANC struggle heroes.”
eThekwini municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said municipal processes and procedures were guided by “established internal protocols, not by commentary on social media”.
“There is no delay as no actual date has everbeen announced by government. The statues will be unveiled when the internal processes have been finalised,” she said.
In 2023, when then-Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda announced the proposal for two statues during a post-budget approval press conference, local artist Lungelo Gumede was named as the sculptor. After an outcry over the hefty price, an event to introduce him was indefinitely postponed.
Last August, Gumede confirmed the cost of the statues to the Sunday Times.
“Being a sculptor is my profession and if I get a job to do a sculpture, I do it, like anyone who goes to school, studies for a profession, applies for a job, gets a job and works. It’s the same thing I did. I saw a post for a job. I applied. I got the job and I did it. If the same opportunity comes again, I will do it.
“To the residents, it’s a waste of money. To me, as an artist, it’s my profession, and it’s what puts bread and butter on the table. The statues are very important in preserving history and as tourist attractions. People complain it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. As much as we need the bronze statues and wax statues in South Africa to preserve our history and heritage, chances of having them constructed or built on an international scale are slim to none.
“We are not close to competing internationally when it comes to the art of making statues and monuments. If making such art is regarded by residents and the community as a waste of taxpayers’ money, why art schools? Why art faculties at universities? Why do we study art? Why does the same community send their children to art schools and universities, to do what when they finish?”
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