Programme Director,
Premier of the Free State Comrade Ace Magashule,
MECs here present,
Honourable Members of the Provincial Executive Council,
Honourable Mayor Thabo Manyoni,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Comrades and friends
I am honoured to unveil this statue, commissioned in honour of President Nelson Rohlilahla Mandela, the first democratic President of the Republic of South Africa, former ANC President, former commander in chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe, Isithwalandwe and founding father of our democratic nation.
Guided by the mandate of the African National Congress to seek and work for equal rights and opportunities for all South Africans, President Mandela has made it his life’s work to lead and guide our people out of oppression, discrimination and economic suffering.
Compatriots,
Recently we laid to rest former Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, former President of the Constitutional Court, one of the lawyers who defended the Rivonia trialists; and Professor Jakes Gerwel, the first Director-General and Cabinet Secretary under President Mandela’s presidency and later chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Today, as we gather to unveil the Nelson Mandela statue, we also remember both these comrades, their loved ones and their contribution to the goal of building a united, non-racial, non sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
Once more we say; may their souls rest in peace!
In the same spirit, we also wish Madiba well. He remains in Pretoria hospital where he is being treated for a lung infection. We have assured him of the love and support of all South Africans during his hospitalization.
As we unveil this statue we remember that fateful day on the 5th of December 1956, whose 56th Anniversary we would have marked a few days ago, where Nelson Mandela and other political leaders were arrested and charged with high treason in a trial that dragged on for four years with the last accused being acquitted in 1961.
We pay tribute to those stalwarts, who by staying firm in the face of adversity, endowed our freedom struggle with heightened sense of commitment and sacrifice never seen before.
We remember how President Mandela responded on behalf of the accused, bravely defending the liberation movement in its attempts to bring about freedom and democracy.
We recall his words when he was responding to a question from the bench:“We demand universal adult franchise and we are prepared to exert economic pressure to attain our demands, and we will launch defiance campaigns, stay at homes, either singly or together, until the government should say: ‘Gentlemen we cannot have this state of affairs, laws being defied, and this whole situation created by stay at homes. Let’s talk.”
In saying this Tata Mandela emphasised that ours was a struggle to secure a peaceful and negotiated settlement with the oppressors, and that all other forms of struggle were meant to push the enemy to the negotiation table.
Up to this day we continue to draw lessons from the life of Tata Mandela and his conduct and dedication to our struggle for national liberation.
We know Tata Mandela to be a humble person; a principled leader whose life of selfless dedication to the cause of equality, freedom and dignity for all continues to be a source of inspiration to all South Africans and indeed to all of humanity.
As we unveil this statue, which stands 7 metres high, towering above the landscape overlooking Mangaung, we are once again honouring his towering vision and stature, his commitment, his leadership and dedication to the struggle against apartheid.
This statue of the first President of a democratic South Africa, reminds us, as it faces towards Mangaung, of the path that we as South Africans have traveled in our struggle to be free.
It reminds us of our journey from the birth of the African National Congress here in Mangaung in 1912, to the democratic elections in 1994, and now, this year, the centenary of the ANC, the oldest liberation movement in Africa.
The statue stands as a tribute to a tortuous path we traveled from oppression, through the struggle for liberation, to our democracy in 1994 and to the progress we are making to undo the legacy of many years of oppression, injustice and indignity for the majority of South Africans.
It should, true to Madiba’s values, forever be a symbol of our reconciliation and tolerance as a nation.
Mandela was quick to concede humanity to every human being, including his adversaries, believing that no one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin.
He indicated that even when they were pushed to the limits by the guards in prison, he would see a glimmer of humanity in one of them, and this was enough to reassure him and keep him going.
Therefore taking a leaf from Tata Madiba’s assertion that man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished, let the main significance of this unveiling be to prod even the most reluctant among us to extend hands of friendship to fellow citizens to build a united and coherent nation.
Compatriots;
We would like to thank Mr. Freddy Kenny for his generous donation to the City of Mangaung, to the people of South Africa, and to the African National Congress.
The erection of the statue forms part of our programme as government to continue honouring the heroes and heroines of our struggle for national liberation.
It is also part of efforts to build new symbols of our democratic nation, symbols that make it possible for us as South Africans to celebrate our diversity, our common heritage and our shared future.
The statue is our efforts to strengthen reconciliation, nation building, social cohesion and national healing that Madiba always stood for in all his life.
Therefore we are also pleased to report that another related part of this important national project, the Phase 2 of the JL Dube Legacy Project has been completed.
This project includes the restoration of JL Dube’s house into an interpretative centre, the development and mounting of an exhibition which celebrates his tremendous contribution to society.
In addition three Presidential Buildings were renamed, Kings House in Durban is now Dr J L Dube House, the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria has been renamed S M Makgatho and the Diplomatic Guest House in Pretoria will be renamed Johnny Makhathini next year.
Earlier today we had an opportunity to rename Bloemfontein International Airport to the Bram Fischer International Airport.
In honour of one of our struggle icons the unveiling of Steve Biko Heritage Centre took place on the 30 November 2012.
The Centre is an important community asset, comprising a museum, archive and library resource centre, commemorative garden, training rooms, conference centre, cultural performance and production spaces, a community media centre and retail spaces.
I am also pleased to report that the O R Tambo Legacy Project is currently being worked on.
Much of the work is complete.
In particular, the construction at the Garden of Remembrance of the Interpretive Centre and remaining new structures and symbolic representations has begun and will be completed by March or April.
The unveiling of the Second Phase of Ncome Museum will be held soon.
The construction of a bridge linking the Ncome Museum and the Blood River Monument which symbolizes reconciliation between the two groups that used to be considered erstwhile enemies has also been completed.
The Matola Raid Memorial Project has been completed and recently unveiled.
It comprises of a monument and an interpretative centre, the development and mounting of the exhibition, appointment of Council and staff as well as the acquisition of the institution’s assets.
The monument will not only be a reminder of those who died during the raid, but will also act as a testimony to the supreme price the people of Mozambique paid to help liberate South Africa.
The completion of //hapo, the museum of Freedom Park and the installation of the seven epochs exhibition will mark the second phase of the Freedom Park Museum.
The official opening will take place next month.
Work is also proceeding to construct a Heritage Centre marking the Pondo Revolt on Inquza Hill.Earlier this year we repatriated the stolen remains of Klaas and Trooi Pienaar in April.
They were callously removed from their graves by Rudolf Poch in September 1909 and sent to Vienna.
I take this opportunity to reaffirm our government’s commitment to restoring dignity to the Khoi and San communities.
We view this as part of the process of healing and promoting unity and social cohesion.
Many graves of Liberation Stalwarts have been upgraded and declared, they include Pixley ka Seme, S M Makgatho, A B Xuma, and Rahina Moosa J Gumede, A Luthuli and J L Dube.
Steven Bantu Biko’s and Robert Sobukwe’s graves are being upgraded and will be declared heritage sites shortly.
The following heroes’ graves will also be upgraded and declared: Bayers Naude, Abram Tiro, Helen Suzman and the Mxenge Graves, Rev. Mahabane, Rev. Maphikela, and J Moroka in Free State.
Additional Heritage Sites also to be declared include the graves of Lillian Ngoyi House, Dr Xuma’s house and Bram Fisher’s house in Gauteng.
We will build monuments commemorating the Gugulethu Seven in the Western Cape and sites of revolt in North West and Free State.
We will also upgrade and declare the houses of Bessie Head, Olive Schreiner, Miriam Makeba and Ingrid Jonker.
Other houses to be upgraded and declared monuments are Maphikela House, Mahabane House, Winnie Mandela’s house in Brandfort.
We are doing all of this to ensure that the story of our liberation is told in full and is available for us to use as a nation, as we further heal the wound of our past and move together towards a future that belongs to all of us.
Let this statue be a reminder that freedom in our country did not come free and that we have a collective responsibility to defend and deepen its hard-won gains.
I thank you.
