Ramaphosa to unveil controversial statues amid criticism
Controversy surrounds the unveiling of statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in Durban, as residents question costs and priorities.
THE City of eThekwini has finally announced next Friday as the date for the unveiling of the two multimillion-rand, controversial statues, after months of construction. They cite a boost in tourism as the motivation for the construction.
Months after the erection of statues of Nelson Mandela and OR Tambo on the Moses Mabhida Stadium precinct and North Beach beachfront, respectively, they led to questions about the unveiling and, most importantly, discontent among residents and ratepayers.
Community groups were abuzz with criticism following eThekwini’s announcement of the unveiling ceremony, to be graced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, while the City clarified that no financial resources were diverted from service delivery projects to fund the statues.
A resident commented, “A 9m-long bronze statue is not what’s going to bring tourism to Durban. Let’s make that clear, what will bring tourism to Durban is the following: safety and security for beachgoers, including joggers and walkers; to clean up the entire beachfront, to include the removal of makeshift structures and cutting down of unwanted bush, which is housing criminals. Let’s try to get the basics right first before we get ahead of ourselves.”
“While the President is here, can we invite him on a tour of the top 2026 tourist destinations? On the itinerary will be Carpendale Park, the dunes, and the Covid shelter,” one North Beach resident suggested.
Also read: Gigantic OR Tambo statue evokes discontent in North Beach
The City Mayor, Cyril Xaba, defended the decision to construct the statues, saying it was an effort to expand tourism infrastructure to enhance heritage tourism.
“Together, these tourism attractions, will enhance the visitor experience in our City. Even before their official unveiling, the statues, procured at R11m each, are already generating excitement among local and international visitors alike,” Xaba said.
He added that the giant pieces were financed through allocations made in previous years’ budgets, and therefore did not impact current or ongoing service delivery commitments.
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