Cape Town plans Mandela statue

13 Jun, 2013

Cape Town plans to erect a statue of former South African president Nelson Mandela on the city's Grand Parade, the site of his first public speech following his release from prison in 1990.

The announcement by Cape Town's naming committee comes as the 94-year-old statesman remains in a "serious condition" in hospital with a recurrent lung condition.

The country's department of arts and culture has suggested that the memorial should not be a “typical statue” as there were already plenty of these in South Africa.

Mandela has several statues in his honour across the country, including the tallest one: an 8-m tall bronze figure unveiled last December in the central city of Bloemfontein.

Mandela has suffered with lung problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27-year prison sentence, with most of his incarceration spent on Robben Island located off Cape Town.