Struggle icons’ pride of place

PRETORIA: Departed icons of the Struggle against apartheid have found a new home at the Groenkloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria.

The copper statues of the heroes and heroines – 55 in total – now stand tall and proudly next to each other at the new National Heritage Monument, which was opened by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa yesterday.

One of the four statues at the forefront is that of Nelson Mandela.

On the far right are Albertina and Walter Sisulu, holding hands. In the middle is Oliver Tambo, the longest serving president of the ANC.

Black Consciousness Movement leader Steve Biko has been placed behind Mandela.

There are also symbols of Zulu chiefs Bambatha kaMancinza and Dingane kaSenzangakhona, as well as Batswana chief Kgosi Kgamanyane Pilane.

The first missionary among the Xhosa people, Dr Johannes van der Kemp, is also there. So is Bishop John Colenso, the first Anglican bishop of Natal.

The second president of the ANC Women’s League, Ida Mntwana, stands at the centre.

The president of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement, Trevor Huddleston, and Alexandra Simons, trade unionist and member of the Federation of South Africa Women, also take pride of place.

The project is the brainchild of Dali Tambo, who said the monument was a celebration of the nation’s history. He said the monument was about encompassing the extraordinary calibre of leaders who had been titans of their generation.

He said the initiative was started in 2010 and was not yet complete. It would eventually accommodate about 500 statues.

The ideal is to make the monument a tourist attraction, said Tambo. The monument captured “the relay race with the heroes passing the freedom baton from one leader to the other”.

The sculptures were created by local artists who researched the lives of different heroes and brought them to life.

Asked about the cost of the initiative, Tambo said: “You can’t put a prize on a nation’s heritage when that nation has suffered for more than 350 years. Like the Washington Memorial, one can’t see culture and heritage only in terms of cost, but we must also see it in terms of benefits.”

The statue of Khoisan Struggle icon Damon, weighing 150kg and valued at R5 000, was stolen three weeks ago – despite the 24-hour security.