Statue of Nelson Mandela, Union Buildings

Nelson Mandela
The statue of Nelson Mandela in front of the Union Buildings.
Artist Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren
Year 2013
Type Bronze
Location Union Buildings, Pretoria

The statue of Nelson Mandela in the Union Buildings grounds, Pretoria, Gauteng is a bronze sculpture of former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. The statue was unveiled on the Day of Reconciliation (16 December 2013), bringing the official mourning period of ten days to a close, after Mandela had died on 5 December.[1]

Description

The statue is 9m high, making it the tallest statue of Nelson Mandela in the world. It is made in bronze and weighs approximately 3.5 tonnes. The engineering work was carried out by the Knight brothers at Sculpture Casting Services Foundary in Cape Town. The legs and arms were cast in Nottingham road, KwaZulu-Natal.[1]

Inauguration

The statue was inaugurated by then President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma who in his speech said:

You will notice that in all the statues that have been made of Madiba, he is raising his fist and at times stretching it. That derives from the slogan of the ANC. This one is different from many. He is stretching out his hands. He is embracing the whole nation. You shouldn’t say this is not Madiba because we know him with his one [raised] hand.[1]

Location

The statue is located in front of the buildings on a spot that used to belong to the statue of J.B.M. Hertzog who was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1924-1939.The statue was taken down on 22 November 2013 and moved to a different location in the grounds.[2]

Panoramic photograph showing the Mandela statue and both wings of the Union Buildings.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mafika. "18 facts about the 9m Mandela statue". Brandsouthafrica.com. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  2. ↑ Report entitled "Madiba's statue to be unveiled today" published by SABC News and viewable on YouTube as at 8 May 2014.
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