Gqeberha (PE) Art Route
Walk the 67 inner-city installations that commemorate the years Madiba spent fighting for social justice
It feels like weʼre in the bowels of the city. Traffic on the multi-lane Settlers Highway drones dully overhead while we dodge taxis in the terminus below it. It seems a little incongruous to be looking for art here.
But weʼre not disappointed. On the other side of a metal palisade fence we find the first artwork on Nelson Mandela Bay Metroʼs Route 67 experience. Itʼs a frieze sculpted out of concrete, the colour of the rich red earth of the Eastern Cape and is the work of Mkhonto Gwazela. Itʼs a joyful celebration of the areaʼs indigenous heritage. I recognise Madosini Mpahleni, the famous uhadi (Xhosa musical bow) player whom Iʼve been privileged to see perform. And is that the renowned George Pemba painting her portrait? Yet another talented son of the Eastern Cape, Enoch Sontonga, composer of the national anthem Nkosi Sikelela iAfrika, wears his trademark top hat. The detail of their features and clothing is exquisite.
The frieze forms a laager-like semi-circle at the base of the Campanile. The 53.5-metre tower commemorates the landing of British settlers in 1820, so already the symbolism is rich, juxtaposing past and present realities of life in South Africa.
ʻThe art route symbolises the journey to democracy,ʼ
explains my tour guide, Lyn Haller of Umzantsi Afrika Tours. ʻIt was completed in time for the Soccer World Cup in 2010, when international visitors flooded into the city.ʼ
The uphill trudge towards Donkin Reserve on the ridge overlooking the city and harbour reminds us that our freedom was hard won. Striking waymarkers guide us along the route, inscribed with inspiring quotes by our former president, who would have turned 103 on July 18 this year. ʻWe need the commitment of leaders at all levels to achieve the better life for all that we promised our people,ʼ rings as true today as the time that he first uttered it.
Lubhi Mtatiʼs evocative portraits of young South Africans from different cultures brighten the pillars holding up the Settlers Highway. The paving we walk on is inscribed with words depicting the values held dear in a democracy: Caring. Hlonipha (respect). A colourful mural celebrating commuters and their daily journeys leads us to the Fishbone, an architectural element that visually links the old Jetty Street from the harbour to Vuyisile Mini Square, the old marketplace at the historic heart of the city, now renamed after the local struggle hero.
Lyn points out fine heritage buildings such as City Hall, the Feather Market, the old library and the Prester John Monument. They sit cheek by jowl with examples
of depressing urban decay. ʻI remember hearing the prisoners singing in the cells below the street,ʼ says Lyn as we pass by the boarded-up former magistrates court building.
We cheat and jump in Lynʼs vehicle to drive the next section as she says the stairway past St Maryʼs Cathedral has become a mugging hotspot.
Soon weʼre at the foot of the Mosaic Stairs that lead from the turbulence of the old era to a new dawn, symbolised by an explosion of colour. The winding path becomes a voting queue, where more than 3 000 of the cityʼs youth made their mark with yellow Xs.
ʻThe idea was to make the route as participative as possible,ʼ says Lyn as we drive around the perimeter of Donkin Reserve. She points out the Fish-Bird, a sculpture by Mxolisi Sapeta, which symbolises the transformation of the site from a hobo hangout to a tourist magnet. We park near the old lighthouse and the tourism office, housed in the former lighthouse keeperʼs cottage, and marvel at the view of the city and Algoa Bay.
Most striking of the artworks scattered about the reserve is the Piazza Mosaic, a 470m² mosaic that celebrates the multi-cultural heritages of the provinceʼs people, their industries and local fauna and flora. Created by a ceramic collective of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, it lies between the Donkin Pyramid and the Great Flagpole – which is bare today.
ʻThe flag is about the size of a rugby field and they donʼt fly it when itʼs windy,ʼ observes Lyn. Apparently this icon of the Windy City tore in a strong wind and fixing it is no mean feat…
We stroll to the head of Voting Line, an art installation of life-size laser-cut steel figures, where Tata Mandela stands in the sunshine welcoming democracy with a triumphant Amandla salute. This selfie hotspot is definitely the highlight of the route but by no means the end. Ahead of us, thereʼs still the Athenaeum, ArtEC and the Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, all within walking distance, as well as artworks further afield at the South End Apartheid Museum and Uitenhageʼs Market Square. The journey to democracy continues. A luta continua!