Ramaphosa unveils controversial R22m statues in cash-strapped eThekwini

By Charmaine Ndlela

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday unveiled two giant bronze statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in eThekwini, saying they were living reminders of the country’s struggle.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, Ramaphosa said the statues were meant to “anchor the collective memory of a nation” and keep the liberation story “embedded in the landscape of daily life, not confined to textbooks”.

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The R11 million-each statues, standing nine metres tall, have been dogged by a fierce local debate over cost and priorities in a metro that has faced persistent service-delivery failures and financial strain.

As reported by Inside Metros last week, the municipality only had about 17 days’ cash on hand, which was dismissed by Mayor Cyril Xaba as a “snapshot” in time.

Ramaphosa mentioned none of that in his