LUNGELO Gumede took a year to complete the sculptures which he unveiled on Tuesday to mark the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. Leon Lestrade African News Agency (ANA) LUNGELO Gumede took a year to complete the sculptures which he unveiled on Tuesday to mark the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. Leon Lestrade African News Agency (ANA)
Durban - AS SOUTH Africa and the world marked the release of Nelson Mandela from prison yesterday, a Durban sculptor erected his 30 bronze statues of the former president at The Cube on Innes Road.
“For me it's significant because it’s the day that brought us democracy and gave us freedom,” said Lungelo Gumede, 34. He began working on the statues in February last year and finished last month. He said each of the statues represented a period in Mandela’s life, from the time he was young until shortly before he died.
It was not only Mandela who was part of the exhibition, but also Winnie Mandela, who was there when he was released.
Former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey also had a statue, as he shared an iconic moment with Madiba when Bafana Bafana won the African Nations Cup for the first and only time.
LUNGELO Gumede, below, with some of the creations which took a him a year to complete. He unveiled them yesterday to mark the release of Nelson Mandela from prison.
Gumede, originally from Ndwedwe, said he hoped people from around Durban would come to enjoy the exhibition as it would only be there for seven days.
“We hope to take it to Gauteng, Mpumalanga and around the country.”
Gumede said the exhibition was self-funded, and could not say how much it cost to make because he had not tallied up the costs as yet.
Gumede, one of five children, said the day that he announced his intention, his family gave him their full support.
“They told me that they knew that I was going to be able to do it they were confident,” he said.