City’s Nelson Mandela Jive sculpture to be a landmark
A Gauteng-based company has already started with the planning for the construction of a 10 m high Nelson Mandela Jive sculpture as well as a life-size sculpture of Peter Mokaba at prominent locations in the city, involving no financial input from Polokwane Municipality or its ratepayers. At the recent meeting of the municipal council, it …
A Gauteng-based company has already started with the planning for the construction of a 10 m high Nelson Mandela Jive sculpture as well as a life-size sculpture of Peter Mokaba at prominent locations in the city, involving no financial input from Polokwane Municipality or its ratepayers.
At the recent meeting of the municipal council, it was resolved that Habakkuk Media and Events, a Gauteng-based business, be allowed to construct the Madiba sculpture in the Civic Centre Park and the Peter Mokaba Unity Sculpture at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium. The donor also proposed that the name of the Civic Centre Park be changed to Polokwane Reconciliation Park but it was resolved that the matter be deferred until the municipality’s policy on the naming of public places has been finalised.
In the report that was tabled in council, it was stated that the two sculptures will benefit and further contribute to the city’s existing treasure of works of art and will also create a marketing tool for the city. It will play a significant role in transforming the heritage landscape of the city and the spirit of Ubuntu within all racial groups in the city.
Drake Chigumira, Chief Executive Officer of the donor company, said that the planning of the Madiba sculpture has already commenced and that it will be higher than the sculpture at the Union Buildings. “The designing and building of the sculpture will take approximately six months. It will be delivered on site with a flat deck truck and it will take five days to install it upright,” Chigumira said and added that the company donated the sculptures because they wanted to honour Mandela and Mokaba. “We chose Polokwane because of Limpopo’s great tourism potential and Polokwane being the capital of the province,” he reckoned.
Chigumira also confirmed that Haidi Hadaway, a reportedly renowned artist with a magic touch to her art work has been tasked with the project. “The sculpture will weigh 4,5 tonnes and be made out of bronze and detailed in a gold colour shirt of the well-known Madiba shirt fashion line,” he added.
More details regarding the Peter Mokaba Unity Sculpture could not be provided as yet, due to the fact that the donor was still negotiating with possible funders.
Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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