Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has announced that a statue of the former statesman will be constructed in celebration of the President Mandela’s centenary year.
Executive Mayor, Athol Trollip, said in a statement on Wednesday that the “the statue will form part of a larger iconic landmark precinct, which, once completed, will capture our nation’s diversity of culture, heritage and the impact of President Mandela’s legacy.”
He said funding for the project was approved on Wednesday by the Metro’s mayoral committee.
Trollip said the Mandela Bay Development Agency now has the mandate to begin planning the project, the design of which will be selected from the submissions to a competition that is open to the public.
“Our objective is to select a design and concept that will place our city on the global tourism map by leveraging the iconic and unique name of our Metropolitan Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality,” he said.
Trollip said that “the national and international tourism fraternity is abuzz with excitement at the symbolic and global importance of such a tourism product in our city.”
(Image: SA History Online)
