Struggle icons Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela will be honoured with statues in Durban.
Image: File
A political analyst believes that the time for unveiling statues in the country is over due to the urgent need for service delivery and jobs.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe was responding to the planned unveiling of the 9-metre-tall bronze statues of former president Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in Durban on Tuesday.
These statues, which cost R22 million, have sparked considerable debate due to concerns over their expense and the lengthy wait for their unveiling.
Originally scheduled for Friday, March 6, 2026, the unveiling has been moved up to accommodate President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is expected to attend the funeral of Reverend Jesse Jackson, the renowned American civil rights activist, in Chicago on the same weekend.
Seepe said the ANC is not only out of touch with the people, but it has also run out of ideas, adding that the party can no longer rely on the history of the Struggle.
“That part is done and dusted. Nelson Mandela and OR Tambo have been adequately acknowledged throughout the country. Statues and streets have been named after them,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the ANC's history of Struggle competes with its history of governance failure. Deepening poverty, grotesque economic inequalities, and skyrocketing unemployment, load shedding, and water shedding are some of the realities that confront the majority of its voters.”
He said that no amount of public relations would airbrush these realities in people's public imagination.
“Many may attend not so much out of their love for Mandela or Tambo. Such events present opportunities for people to have something to eat,” he added.
Seepe said the country is grappling with a housing crisis, and in particular, eThekwini has 605 informal settlements.
He said after the unveiling, the presence of the statues would be forgotten and poorly maintained.
Both Mandela and Tambo served as presidents of the ANC.
President Ramaphosa will preside over the ceremony, where the statues have been strategically placed in prominent and accessible locations throughout Durban.
The statue of Mandela is situated at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, overlooking Kings Park Athletic Stadium, while Tambo's statue overlooks North Beach.
The eThekwini Municipality has stated that these statues celebrate the significant contributions of both leaders to the country's liberation and democracy. They are also intended to enhance the city’s cultural and heritage tourism offerings.
In addition to the statue unveiling, Ramaphosa is expected to meet with the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC).
Established in April 2024, the PeWG is a collaborative effort involving the Presidency, the eThekwini Municipality, and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). Its purpose is to address service delivery challenges, improve infrastructure, stabilise governance, and foster economic growth within the municipality.
The meeting will convene key stakeholders, ministers, business leaders, and organised labour leaders.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the Presidency, said: “The engagement aims to review the progress made since the working group's inception and outline the next phase of targeted interventions focused on strengthening economic growth, job creation, infrastructure development, and improved service delivery in eThekwini.”
In November 2025, Ramaphosa met with the PeWG to inspect various projects.
Zanele Khomo, chief growth officer at the DCCI, indicated that a statement would be released following the meeting on Tuesday.
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said the statue of Mandela served as a reminder of his landmark address at King’s Park Stadium on February 25, 1990, shortly after his release from prison.
Other statues or busts in Durban:
Inside Farewell Square on Anton Lembede Street, previously Smith Street
zainul.dawood@inl.co.za