Statue of Nelson Mandela, Union Buildings


Nelson Mandela is a bronze sculpture on the Union Buildings grounds, Pretoria, Gauteng, of former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. The statue was unveiled on the Day of Reconciliation, bringing the official mourning period of ten days to a close, after Mandela had died on 5 December.

Description

The statue is 9m high, making it the tallest statue of Nelson Mandela in the world. It is made in bronze and weighs approximately 3.5 tonnes. The engineering work was carried out by the Knight brothers at Sculpture Casting Services Foundry in Cape Town. The legs and arms were cast in Nottingham road, KwaZulu-Natal.

Inauguration

The statue was inaugurated by then President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma who in his speech said:

Location

The statue is located in front of the buildings on a spot that used to belong to the statue of J.B.M. Hertzog who was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1924-1939.The statue was taken down on 22 November 2013 and moved to a different location in the grounds.

Gallery