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The iconic moment in which Nelson Mandela gave his first speech as a free
man in Cape Town in February 1990 has been captured forever in a new
monument, which was unveiled at the City Hall recently. At the
Unveiling, which was attended by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu,
representatives of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and other dignitaries, the
1,95-metre bronze statue was revealed to the citizens of Cape Town.
It will now take pride of place on the same balcony where Nelson Mandela
first addressed thousands of eager South Africans with the words: ˇ§Friends,
comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace,
democracy and freedom for allˇ¨.
At the unveiling, Premier Helen Zille said: ˇ§The best way to honour the
legacy of Nelson Mandela, is to ensure that we build an economy that creates
opportunities for more citizens. This statue will form part of the new
Madiba Legacy Tourism Route, which is expected to attract many more visitors
to our region. The route begins at Robben Island, and moves through historic
landmarks such as Parliament, before ending here at City Hall.ˇ¨
Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, said: ˇ§Madiba standing on that balcony
after 27 years in prison, symbolised the triumph of a generation of leaders
who sacrificed everything for our freedom. That historic moment has now been
captured in this life-sized monument. This is a fitting tribute to an
extraordinary leader and will be a physical reminder to current and future
generations of the sacrifices he made during the liberation struggle. May it
also serve as a reminder that we must all strive to emulate his example of
living in service to others for the betterment of our communities and
countryˇ¨.
The tender for the statue was awarded to Koketso Growth, headed up by Dali
Tambo. They commissioned artists Barry Jackson and Xhanti Mpakama to
complete the tribute.
Tambo said the process began with answering the question: ˇ§How do we recall
that moment in time best?ˇ¨
ˇ§We wanted it to be perfect, itˇ¦s going to be there for more than 300 years
with some waxing and polishing, and so you want people, now and in the
future, to be gifted by it, to remember that special moment. That moment in
time was precious for the country and precious for him as he tasted freedom
for the first time, and precious for the world as it signalled the end of
apartheid. Itˇ¦s a beautiful representation and the artists did very well,ˇ¨
he said.
The statue stands 1,95 metres tall and weighs 120 kilograms. It was cast in
bronze at Sculpting Casting Services in Strand.
ˇV Source: www.ewn.co.za |
