President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the unveiling of the 10-meter-tall statues of struggle icons Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in eThekwini as a powerful affirmation of South Africa’s democratic journey and a call to active citizenship.
Former African National Congress (ANC) Leader Oliver Tambo’s statue was installed at Durban’s Beachfront, and former President Nelson Mandela’s stands at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Speaking at the ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, the President said the monuments honour the two struggle icons for their contribution to freedom, social justice and the empowerment of South Africans.
“Monuments of this nature are important for preserving our history and heritage. They anchor the collective memory of a nation,” President Ramaphosa said.
The unveiling coincides with 30 years since the adoption of South Africa’s democratic Constitution. The President highlighted the historic role both leaders played in shaping the country’s constitutional democracy.
It was Tambo, he noted, who initiated the drafting of the ANC’s Constitutional Principles while liberation movements were still banned and apartheid repression was at its height. A decade later, President Mandela signed the democratic Constitution into law.
“It is one of the great coincidences of our history that the two partners of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys were each to play such pivotal parts in the development and adoption of our democratic Constitution,” he said.
A shared legacy of justice
President Ramaphosa reflected on the partnership between Mandela and Tambo, founded on a shared commitment to justice. Through their law firm, they defended the rights of the poor and marginalised, and later, as leaders of the ANC and founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe, took up arms against apartheid.
Even during nearly three decades of separation – Mandela imprisoned and Tambo in exile – both leaders remained committed to the same vision of a non-racial, democratic South Africa.
The President said the statues are not merely artistic works but enduring reminders of the values the two leaders embodied: integrity, service, peace and unity.
“They remind us of what we value as a society,” he said, urging South Africans to reject racism, tribalism and sexism, and to continue building a country that belongs to all who live in it.
Call for peace and ethical leadership
Describing Mandela and Tambo as men of peace, who sought dialogue over conflict, President Ramaphosa said they would have been deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and would have called for adherence to the United Nations Charter and an immediate ceasefire.
He also stressed the need for ethical and selfless leadership in contemporary South Africa.
“They would have joined us in calling for an immediate ceasefire and for the conflict to be resolved through meaningful and earnest negotiations.
“These are leaders that we need today. Leaders that will serve. Leaders that are selfless. Leaders that are honest and ethical,” he said.
Quoting the National Development Plan, the President emphasised that leadership applies in every sphere of life and that citizens should strive to follow the example set by the country’s liberation heroes.
Boost for tourism and regional diplomacy
President Ramaphosa said the statues are expected to enhance tourism in eThekwini, one of South Africa’s premier tourist destinations. He noted that more than 6.8 million people visited the city’s beaches and promenade over the festive season, with over 1.2 million bathers recorded at municipal swimming pools.
In a further boost for the city, the President announced that eThekwini will host the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in August 2026.
As chair of the regional bloc, South Africa looks forward to welcoming leaders from across Southern Africa to deliberate on issues critical to the region’s growth and development, he said.
Preserving memory for future generations
President Ramaphosa recalled eThekwini’s historical significance in the lives of both leaders, including Mandela’s final night in the city before his arrest in 1962 and Tambo’s handover of the ANC presidency to Mandela at the organisation’s 48th National Conference in 1991.
“These statues are more than just art. They are promises – promises made by a free people to themselves that they will not forget what it cost to be free,” he said.
By erecting the statues, the nation affirms its gratitude to Mandela, Tambo and their families for the sacrifices made in pursuit of freedom, the President added.
“It is said that a nation that forgets its past has no future. We choose to have a future by remembering our past,” the President concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
