28 April 2016
Weighing two metric tons and rising six metres, a bronze statue of Nelson Mandela with his right arm raised and hand in a fist was unveiled in the Palestine economic capital, Ramallah, on 26 April.
Created by South African artists Christina Salvodi, Lungisa Khala and Tanya Lee‚ the project was funded by the City of Johannesburg.
The statue took seven months to produce and will be placed on high land for “all the people of Palestine to see”, according to Sowetan Live. It is in an area of Ramallah currently being developed and already named Mandela Square.
At the unveiling, Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau was joined by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas‚ mayor of Ramallah‚ Mousa Hadid‚ and officials of the South African embassy.
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“We’re very excited we were finally able to unveil the statue on the eve of South Africa celebrating 22 years of freedom,” said Tau. “This statue is a symbol of solidarity from the people of Johannesburg and the people of South Africa to the people of Palestine.
“It is about our commitment towards the achievement of lasting peace in the Middle East.”
(Images: City of Johannesburg, Facebook)
Source: Sowetan Live
