Final push for donations to install Nelson Mandela statue

A final call for donations to go towards building a statue of Nelson Mandela in Scotland’s biggest city has been made to tie in with the anniversary of his visit to the country almost 30 years ago.

The Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation (NMSMF) has so far raised £130,000 for the £150,000 statue.

The foundation has now launched a crowdfunder – Scotland’s Mandela Statue – Make It Happen – to run during Black History Month in October in the hope of raising the remaining £20,000.

A large granite block has been sourced from South Africa and it will be finished in Aberdeenshire to create the plinth for the statue, which will be sited in Glasgow’s Nelson Mandela Place.

Planning permission has been received and trial trenches will be dug during October to check for any underground services not discovered by earlier radar surveys.

When the remaining money is raised, a competition to design the sculpture will be launched, the foundation said.

The appeal ties in with the former South African president’s trip to Glasgow on October 9, 1993 during which he received the freedom of the city.

Glasgow was the first in the world to grant Mandela this honour in 1981 while he was still incarcerated on Robben Island.

Eight other UK local authorities then followed suit in awarding him the freedom of their cities prior to his release from an apartheid prison after 27 years.

These were Aberdeen, Dundee, and Midlothian district in Scotland; Newcastle, Sheffield, Hull and the London borough of Greenwich in England; and Islwyn in Wales.

Representatives from all those places came to Glasgow in October 1993 to present Mandela with their freedoms at a special ceremony in the City Chambers.

Afterwards, Mandela addressed a crowd of 15,000 in George Square.

Brian Filling, chairman of the foundation, said: “A permanent memorial to Nelson Mandela in Scotland will remind Scots and visitors of the proud history of solidarity with the struggle against apartheid and will also educate future generations on the need to stand up against racism and injustice whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head.

“That history of solidarity saw huge support from Scotland and its anti-apartheid movement with practical help, boycotts, campaigning, a year-long picket of the South African Consulate, the renaming of the consulate’s address as Nelson Mandela Place, and the 30,000 strong freedom march from Glasgow Green to London.

“We are within sight of creating the statue thanks to the support of many individuals and organisations and with this final push we will make it a reality.”

The crowdfunder has already received many endorsements and pledges of support, including from Glasgow Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren.

She said: “It is a great pleasure to support the Scottish Nelson Mandela Memorial campaign.

“I’m told the great man, who went on to become South Africa’s first black president, never forgot the support Glaswegians showed him during his incarceration.

“Even after his sad death in 2013, the city’s links with his family live on. Indeed, it was an honour for Glasgow to welcome his granddaughter Tukwini to his birthday celebrations here during the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“No-one who lived through those historic times will forget the name Nelson Mandela and I believe a statue is a fitting tribute to ensure the Noble Peace Prize winner and all he stood for are forever remembered in Scotland.”

Marah Louw, a patron of NMSMF and supporter of its statue campaign, spoke about the time she danced with Mandela during his visit to Glasgow.

“My unforgettable highlight of all highlights was in 1993, when Brian Filling invited me to come to Scotland and perform at the prestigious event where Nelson Mandela received the freedom of Britain, in George Square, in Glasgow,” she wrote.

“I was pinching myself and sincerely humbled and overwhelmed for another opportunity to meet Tata Madiba, my president.

“It is an honour and privilege to participate in the drive to build this statue in honour of the great African statesman Nelson Mandela in Glasgow.”

Lord Paul Boateng, the UKs first black cabinet minister and a former High Commissioner to South Africa, pledged his support for the crowdfunder.

“The relationship between the peoples of Scotland and of Africa was critical in overcoming the monumental evil of racism through Scotland’s support for the work of the anti-apartheid movement,” he said.

“This statue will be a reminder not just of the struggle against racism but of the need for eternal vigilance against all forms of injustice and the continuing need for the activism and sacrifice that Nelson Mandela embodied.”