A statue representing the children who were killed in gang cross-fire in Gqeberha’s Northern Areas was unveiled on Youth Day.
The statue, titled ‘The Last Child’, was created together with family, community members, Zano Ntobela and well-known local artist, Duncan Stewart.
According to a statement, the statue, encased in glass in front of a supermarket in Gelvandale, was sculpted using clothing donated by the parents of the deceased children and commissioned by National Glass, a family-owned and managed business head-quartered in Gqeberha.
Engraved on the plinth is a verse inspired by the well-known poem written in 1960 by Ingrid Jonker: ‘The child who was shot dead by soldiers in Nyanga.’
National Glass’ Managing Director Belinda Louw said that high unemployment rates and other socio-economic factors have contributed to increased violent behaviours within the area.
“So many of our staff members live within the Northern Areas, and it is inspiring to see how resilient they and their communities are in the face of increasing violence,” she said.
The project was supported by the Mandela Bay Development Agency.
MBDA spokesperson, Luvuyo Bangazi, said the Agency has, for the last six years, been involved with the Safety and Peace through Urban Upgrading programme, a South Africa and German Government co-funded programme for Helenvale.
“The funder representing Germany is KfW Bank (development bank) and through that we were able to initiate various programme and infrastructure interventions in Helenvale, impacting the broader Northern Areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, the artist, Duncan Stewart, said he was pleased to be asked to be a part of this project.”
“Adding to the poignancy of the project, of course, was working with the clothing of the deceased children; that was incredibly unnerving and surreal, but very necessary to deliver the most powerful message we could,” he added.
“I am always exceptionally keen to play a role in a social effort that seeks to be the catalyst for a change for the better, and I hope what we have done today gives the community hope and strength for the future.”
