The City of Cape Town plans to honour former president Nelson Mandela with a R3.5m statue and exhibition at the City Hall.
Naming and nomination committee chair, councillor Brett Herron, said on Monday that the City would start with a public participation process about the proposal to commemorate the life and work of Mandela.
“The purpose of the public participation process is to engage with our residents about the intended memorialisation of Madiba at City Hall.
“We want to work more closely with our residents, and an important aspect of strengthening the relationship between the City and Capetonians is for our residents to participate in matters that affect them and which they feel strongly about.”
A statue would be installed on the balcony at the City Hall where Mandela delivered his first public address following his release from the then Victor Verster Prison.
The City also proposed to fund a permanent exhibition at the City Hall, consisting of interpretive panels, audio-visual equipment and interactive displays, to commemorate Mandela’s legacy, Herron added.
“The Western Cape government has budgeted approximately R3.5m for the funding of the memorial and the City approximately R1.3m for the operational costs, inclusive of the ongoing maintenance of the exhibition and statue.”
Western Cape economic opportunities chair Alan Winde said Mandela’s journey, after his release from the then Victor Verster Prison, to the City Hall, where he made his address, was of important historical significance.
“Through leveraging this unique heritage, we can build an attraction which will draw visitors to our region and spread Madiba’s message of tolerance.
“It is important that residents of the province have a say in how we honour Madiba, and I would like to encourage everyone to share their views during the public participation process,” Winde said.
