Mandela statue at Moses Mabhida, eThekwini criticised for poor priorities
Morningside residents are questioning the eThekwini Municipality’s priorities after a R10m Nelson Mandela statue was erected without public consultation at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
MORNINGSIDE residents have been left fuming and wondering if the millions of rands spent erecting a giant-size statue of Nelson Mandela at the entrance of Moses Mabhida Stadium could not have been put to better use by the eThekwini Municipality.
According to reports the City spent around R10m for the towering statue honouring the global icon which is expected to be unveiled in October along with that of struggle stalwart Oliver Reginald Tambo at the Durban beachfront. Annoyed and impressed at the same time, Shelley Naidoo said she doesn’t know how the City “keeps getting away with putting up statues without anyone knowing”.
“It’s getting ridiculous now,” said Naidoo. “This is a second statue to have gone up without the consultation of residents. The City is taking us for fools. Using our (ratepayers) money to further their agendas while the infrastructure collapses all around eThekwini. That money could have been spent elsewhere.”
The giant statue was installed over two months ago and remains covered, guarded by security. It has garnered the attention of passers-by who were seen taking pictures of the phenomenal structure of Mandela with his fist in the air.
Ward 27 councillor Ernest Smith said the statues, collectively costing over R20m, were approved in 2019, during the tenure of then-mayor Zandile Gumede, who is currently facing corruption charges at the Durban High Court. He said, “The Mandela statue was aimed at being unveiled for Mandela Day, however, due to engineering/construction restrictions the project could not be finished by then.”
Smith said that this issue was further compounded by surrounding projects such as Moses Mabhida/Kingspark Pool which are ongoing. The existing R236m contract to complete the renovation at Moses Mabhida was set to expire on September 28, and has since been extended.
The City estimates that the remaining rehabilitation work will be completed in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years, with a proposed three-year budget amounting to R284.7m. Coupled with this figure and the cost of the statues designed by artist Lungelo Gumede, Smith said residents have highlighted the statues being erected around the city as being a waste of money
“Residents across the city battle with failing water/sewerage/electricity infrastructure, poor maintenance of roads, lack of library services such as the Windermere Library which closed its doors two years ago. This impacted senior citizens, job seekers and school children who don’t have the internet or computer resources at home,” said Smith.
Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said that the stadium remains a critical catalyst for tourism and economic development for the City, having contributed millions in revenue through the hosting of mega sporting and entertainment events. “Please note that information regarding the statue’s costs, unveiling, and associated benefits will be communicated once all internal processes have been finalised, hence that’s why statues are still covered.
“The media will be informed accordingly at that stage as we are also waiting details and information on the project from the relevant line department leading the project,” said Sisilana.
She added, “We kindly request that you await the completion of these processes to ensure that any reporting on the project is accurate and factual.”
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