City to address vandalised elephant sculptures
The eThekwini Municipality will address the elephant sculpture vandalism along the N3 freeway near Warwick Junction.
THE eThekwini Municipality says that it is exploring various avenues to address the issue of the vandalised elephant sculptures in the Durban CBD.
The rare artistic elephant sculptures located adjacent to the N3 freeway near Warwick Junction were once the talk of the town for their uniqueness and bold structure. Lately, they have become a sight for sore eyes due to vandalism.
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The sculptures, created by renowned Durban artist Andries Botha who holds experience in the field of public art, formed part of a public art initiative undertaken by the City in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila explained the inspiration behind these sculptures and what they represented.
“The elephant sculptures were conceived as a public art installation intended to celebrate Durban’s environmental and historical heritage.
“The work draws inspiration from the historical movement of elephants through areas that now form part of the city and serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable wildlife species.”
Mzila added that the sculptures also contributed to the City’s public art landscape by promoting awareness of conservation and the relationship between communities, history and the natural environment.
He said that the City had plans to address this issue of the vandalism on the sculptures.
“Following the damage to the sculptures, an insurance claim was processed through the City’s Insurance Unit.
“The Municipality is exploring options for the restoration and relocation of the artwork to a more suitable site. Timelines for implementation will be communicated once all administrative and technical processes have been concluded.”
Mzila said that the City continued to engage with the artist regarding matters related to the conservation and restoration of the artwork.
When questioned about the costs related to creating these pieces, he said that the municipality was verifying the historical project records relating to the original project cost, and that this information would become available once it had been confirmed from archival records.
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