The planned statue of former president Nelson Mandela will not be erected on Church Square in Pretoria, Freedom Front Plus said on Thursday.FF Plus councillor Conrad Beyers said his party welcomed a report from the mayoral committee that the statue would be erected at the Old Synagogue site nearby.
According to the report, Church Square was one of ten possible sites for the statue but after an evaluation process it was decided the square was not suitable for the project.
Beyers said the FF Plus had been concerned that Church Square was a possibility, especially as ANC councillors had previously said the statue of Paul Kruger might be removed from Church Square at some stage.
"The Old Synagogue is a more suitable site for the statue due to the fact that it was the setting of the Treason Trials from 1958 to 1963, where Nelson Mandela himself stood trial," he said.
He said Kruger and Mandela were regarded as freedom fighters by respective sections of the South African population and hence the FF Plus thought it fitting that one statue was not erected in opposition to the other.
Source : Sapa /mm/gj
Date : 18 Jun 2009 15:40
