DURBAN – President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday unveiled 10-metre-tall statues of struggle icons Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in eThekwini, describing the monuments as a powerful affirmation of South Africa’s democratic journey, even as controversy continues over the R22 million spent on the project in a province grappling with infrastructure challenges.
The statues were unveiled at a ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday. Tambo’s statue was installed at Durban’s beachfront, whilst Mandela’s stands at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The unveiling coincides with 30 years since the adoption of South Africa’s democratic Constitution.
Ramaphosa said the monuments honour the two struggle icons for their contribution to freedom, social justice and the empowerment of South Africans.
“Monuments of this nature are important for preserving our history and heritage. They anchor the collective memory of a nation,” Ramaphosa said.
He reflected on the partnership between Mandela and Tambo, founded on a shared commitment to justice. Through their law firm, they defended the rights of the poor and marginalised, and later, as leaders of the ANC and founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe, took up arms against apartheid.
“These statues are more than just art. They are promises – promises made by a free people to themselves that they will not forget what it cost to be free,” he said.
The president said the statues are expected to boost tourism in eThekwini, noting that more than 6,8 million people visited the city’s beaches and promenade over the festive season, with over 1,2 million bathers recorded at municipal swimming pools.
During the unveiling ceremony the president also announced that eThekwini will host the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community in August 2026.
However, the R22 million price tag – R11 million per statue – has drawn criticism from opposition parties and residents who question the timing and priorities of the expenditure.
The DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen has asked the Public Protector to investigate the spending, alleging that funds were redirected from infrastructure projects to pay for the statues.
Critics point to the city’s ongoing infrastructure challenges, including water and sanitation crises and service-delivery failures. The province is still recovering from the April 2022 floods that killed 544 people and displaced thousands.
eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba has defended the expenditure, stating that the statues were funded from prior-year budget allocations and that no service-delivery funds were diverted. He said service delivery remains the municipality’s priority.
Ramaphosa concluded the ceremony by recalling eThekwini’s historical significance in the lives of both leaders, including Mandela’s final night in the city before his arrest in 1962 and Tambo’s handover of the ANC presidency to Mandela at the organisation’s 48th National Conference in 1991.
“It is said that a nation that forgets its past has no future. We choose to have a future by remembering our past,” the president said.
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