Zuko Komisa
- President Ramaphosa inaugurated two large-scale bronze monuments to Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo across Durban.
- The project serves as a strategic investment to enhance the city’s heritage tourism and cultural profile.
- The R20 million cost has drawn public scrutiny despite the statues’ historical significance.
President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled two bronze statues in Durban on Tuesday, commemorating anti-apartheid icons Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo.
The nine-metre monument to Tambo was revealed at the beachfront promenade, while the statue of Mandela was inaugurated at the Moses Mabhida Stadium precinct.
Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo were the primary architects of South Africa’s liberation.
As lifelong comrades and law partners, they led the African National Congress (ANC) against the apartheid regime Tambo mobilising international pressure from exile and Mandela becoming a global icon of resistance during his 27-year imprisonment.
Together, their leadership transitioned the nation to a multi-racial democracy in 1994.
Commissioned by the eThekwini Municipality for R22 million, the project is designed to bolster heritage tourism and celebrate the leaders’ roles in South Africa’s liberation.
However, the significant expenditure has sparked public debate regarding the city’s financial priorities.
“Dear brother: you set yourself a task which only the brave would dare.
Somewhere in the mystery of your essence, you heard the call that you must
devote your life to the creation of a new South African nation.
And having heard that call, you did not hesitate to act.
It may… pic.twitter.com/X3hkKH3A3h— The Presidency
(@PresidencyZA) March 3, 2026
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