Cape Town - A bust of late president Nelson Mandela was unveiled at City Hall on Freedom Day, “about as close as your can get” to the balcony where he made his liberation speech on February 11, 1990.
Mayor Patricia de Lille, Struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada, councillors and family of the sculptor, Bill Davis, gathered at the City Hall entrance on Monday to catch the first glimpse of the bust in its new “sacred” home. The sculpture shows a smiling Madiba with “46664” - his prison number - represented as a pattern on his trademark collared shirt.
But unlike the many other sculptures of the former statesman, Davis said he chose to depict Mandela “with his shoulder chopped off” to symbolise his suffering and contribution to the lives of others.
“We were all alive when Mandela was alive and he left us a great legacy.”
Davis said he was asked by magazine doyenne Jane Raphaely to do the bust in 2008. But as he was battling throat cancer at the time, he doubted whether he was up to the task. However, he was told then by friends that he had to do this artwork, even if it killed him.
The sculpture has now been donated to the City of Cape Town and De Lille said it was fitting that it would be housed at City Hall where Mandela made his first speech as a free man.
“That day the city centre was filled with exuberance and hope, as his words signalled the start of our journey on the path to democracy. We have undoubtedly made great strides to overcome the legacy of our unjust past, but as we all know, there is no short cut to making South Africa the country of our dreams.”
Kathrada said the bust had been placed “where it really belongs”.
Raphaely said it was fitting that the bust should be in a sacred space at City Hall, but added that similar works of Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu were needed. “In times of strife and stress we must look back to history and try to get meaning (from it).”
The city’s naming committee is still considering a proposal to erect a statue of Nelson Mandela in the Company’s Garden. In future, sculptures and other public artworks and plaques will be covered by the city’s draft memorialisation policy, which is available for public comment until Thursday.
Cape Argus