The Eastern Cape government has stressed the significance of former President Nelson Mandela’s legacy. This comes as two Madiba statues are slated to be unveiled in the province on Tuesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will unveil the statues in Mthatha and Qunu as part of Nelson Mandela Day celebrations.
The two monuments serve as a tribute to Madiba’s enduring impact on South Africa and the world, and commemorates the 67 years he dedicated to the fight against apartheid.
The United Nations proclaimed the Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009. Since then, the Nelson Mandela Museum has observed the global Nelson Mandela International Day as a strategic opportunity to promote his values and foster his legacy.
The provincial government spokesperson Khuselwa Ranjtie says, “This is significant because part of memorialising the life of Mandela is to make sure that we expose what he has been about to other people who would not have met him – the young people of SA and the Eastern Cape. So, that is why we think the unveiling of these statues would play that role in terms of making sure they are able to learn from what he has done.”
The Arts and Culture MEC in the Eastern Cape Nonceba Kontsiwe says it is time for South Africans to re-ignite the values of Nelson Mandela.
Kontsiwe was delivering a keynote address during a memorial lecture in Qunu.
A number of activities have been lined up to celebrate Mandela, including the unveiling of statues in Qunu and at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha.
