The eThekwini Municipality is due to unveil statues of ANC leaders Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in Durban on Tuesday.
Image: AFP
The statues of former president Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo are expected to be unveiled on Tuesday.
The 9-metre-tall bronze statues costing R22 million have become the centre of much debate due to questions over the cost involved and the lengthy wait for their unveiling.
Initially, the date was set for Friday, March 6, 2026, but it has been brought forward because President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend the funeral of Reverend Jesse Jackson, 84, the American civil rights activist, taking place in Chicago on Friday and Saturday.
Mandela and Tambo were also presidents of the ANC.
Ramaphosa will preside over the unveiling of the 10-metre statues, which have been installed in prominent and accessible locations in Durban. The statue of Mandela is at the Moses Mabhida Stadium overlooking Kings Park Athletic Stadium, while Tambo's is overlooking North Beach.
The eThekwini Municipality said the statues celebrate the historic contributions of both leaders to the country’s liberation and democracy, and they are intended to enhance the city’s cultural and heritage tourism offering.
The unveiling forms part of the municipality’s plan to promote Durban as a heritage tourism destination. Ramaphosa is also expected to meet with the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) at the Durban ICC.
The PeWG was established in April 2024 as a collaborative initiative between the Presidency, the eThekwini Municipality, and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) to address service delivery challenges, improve infrastructure, stabilise governance, and enhance economic growth in the municipality.
The meeting will bring together key stakeholders, including business and organised labour leaders, ministers, Premier Thami Ntuli, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), senior government officials, and the Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor Cyril Xaba.
The engagement will review progress made since the establishment of the Working Group and outline the next phase of focused interventions aimed at strengthening economic growth, job creation, infrastructure development, and improved service delivery in eThekwini.
Xaba expressed confidence that the expanded tourism offerings would continue to draw visitors to Durban and bolster the local economy.
Xaba said the statues' historical importance is immense, as they serve as a reminder of Mandela’s landmark address at King’s Park Stadium on February 25, 1990, shortly after his release from prison.
On the occasion, Mandela delivered a historic call for peace, unity, and reconciliation, urging the nation to cast aside weapons and strive for harmony, before a crowd of over 100,000 South Africans.
Ramaphosa met with the PeWG in November 2025 to inspect projects.
Zanele Khomo, chief growth officer at the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC, said they would release a statement after the meeting on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said Jackson’s irrepressible campaigns against apartheid and his support for the liberation Struggle were a towering contribution to the global anti-apartheid cause.
“In 2013, Jackson was awarded South Africa’s National Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in Silver for dedicating his life to challenging societies and governments to recognise that all people are born equal,” he said.