An R11-million statue of struggle hero Oliver Reginald Tambo, commissioned by the City of Ekurhuleni two years ago, is still sitting somewhere in a warehouse, gathering dust.
Plans are only now underway to erect the nine-metre statue at OR Tambo International Airport with site establishment at the airport expected to start on December 13.
The delay was caused, according to City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe, as a result of “divergence of minds” between the then minister of the national department of transport and the City of Ekurhuleni.
“Airports Company SA, a subsidiary of the department of transport, could not grant the City of Ekurhuleni permission to erect the statue within its precinct because of the smaller statue within arrivals at OR Tambo,” said Gadebe.
“The oversight of the city, as well as the family of OR Tambo, felt strongly that the statue should be at the airport hence the continuation to negotiate towards this position. Subsequent to the commencement of the negotiations, there was change in ministers leading to the appointment of the new minister, Hon Fikile Mbalula in 2019.
“The current minister had to apply his mind after being approached about the matter and towards the end of October granted permission. The delays in erecting the statue can be attributed to divergent views of the impact of each statue and their location,” according to Gadebe.
Currently, the statue is stored at a municipal facility in Kempton Park.
Clr Malcolm Maifala, DA shadow MMC for public participation and petitions in the City of Ekurhuleni, said the statue was scheduled to be unveiled at OR Tambo International Airport in 2017 to mark the centenary year of Tambo.
Maifala claimed indecision between the national ANC government and the local ANC in Ekurhuleni was the reason for the delay.
“When the construction of the statue was initially proposed, the DA strongly opposed the idea as R11-million was an excessive amount to be spent on a statue, considering the huge service delivery challenges faced in the City.
“The DA is in no way opposed to honouring the legacy of OR Tambo but it is unjustified that two years later, an R11-million statue is sitting in a warehouse,” he added.
The erection of the statue was announced by Ekurhuleni executive mayor Mzwandile Masina during the delivery of his first State of the City Address on March 29, 2017.
He said at the time, the bronze statue would be constructed and installed in October 2017 at the airport, in recognition of the great struggle icon, as 2017 marked the 100th year since his birth.
