A statue erected in honour of South African freedom fighter and former president, Nelson Mandela was unveiled in Glasgow, United Kingdom, on Friday where a crowd of hundreds of people gathered to commemorate 33 years since the activist was granted Freedom of the City.
The statue, worth £180,000, about $238,000 and N317 million, was designed by Scottish sculptor Alan B Herriot. The funds were raised from donors without any public solicitation.
Chair of the Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation, Brian Filling, said the monument would immortalise Mr Mandela and celebrate his efforts and sacrifice for the freedom of South Africans.
“This will be a permanent memorial to Nelson Mandela and the struggle of the South African people and our solidarity and that’s why Glasgow is important in that whole history,” Mr Filling said.
He added, “In 1993, Nelson Mandela finally visited Glasgow on October 9. The anniversary is today. That was a great day when I introduced Nelson Mandela to the crowd in George Square.”
The South Africa’s high commissioner to the UK, Kingsley Mamabolo, described the monument as a bridge between Glasgow solidarity and the struggle for freedom.
“For decades, Scotland stood as the very epitome of the British people’s solidarity and fierce struggle against the brutal apartheid system,” Mr Mamabolo said. “Cast in bronze, this tribute stands as a bridge between Glasgow solidarity and the generational sacrifices that build our freedom.”
Lord Provost Jaqueline McLaren paid tribute to Mr Mandela, acknowledging Glasgow’s decades-old ties to the freedom fighter.
“Today marks a historic moment for our city as we gather in Nelson Mandela Place to unveil a permanent statue of a man whose name has long been woven into Glasgow’s history and whose values continue to inspire people across the world,” she said. “This is a proud day for Glasgow. a city that forged a unique relationship with Nelson Mandela long before he became president of South Africa and long before the apartheid regime finally fell.”
Mr Mandela, imprisoned for 27 years over his fight against apartheid, was released in 1990 and became the first Black person to be elected president of South Africa in 1994 after the end of the apartheid regime.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, an award he shared with his predecessor Federik Willem de Klerk.
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