The history behind famous statues around KZN
Be still my beating heart for this recreation holds rich meaning...
There is a rich history to be absorbed from the metal-bronzed monuments around KwaZulu-Natal.
Each holds several messages about hope, triumph, heritage and more.
A few of the statues that are must-see attractions include The Mahatma Gandhi statue on Church Street in Pietermaritzburg, Chief Albert Luthuli in KwaDukuza/Stanger, The John Ross Statue in Victoria Embankment in Durban Central, King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo on the corner of Berea Road and Warwick Avenue in Durban, and Nelson Mandela at the Ohlange Institute in Inanda.
These are just a few that might be added to your list of places to visit, and we often wonder what stories they could tell about the people that have visited their monumental honours.
The Mahatma Gandhi statue
Mahatma Gandhi holds excellent honour in our province and South Africa as a whole. The history behind the significant placing of his statue comes from a time when he was thrown out of a train because of the colour of his skin.
"In this bronze statue, he is depicted in his traditional dhoti, staff in hand whilst the other hand reaches out in peace, the statue a commemoration of the centenary of his enforced removal in 1893 from the train because he was a man of colour in first class, who politely refused to move to third class. Mahatma Gandhi spent 21 years in South Africa, eleven of them in KwaZulu-Natal. The moment he was thrown off the train is believed to have been a pivotal point in his life and shaped his decision to remain in the country to resist the oppression of Indians." (SA Venues)
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Chief Albert Luthuli
Chief Albert Luthuli's statue stands tall at the Luthuli Museum, which was officially opened over 20 years ago.
"The Luthuli Museum is one of the many tributes to those who fought for the freedom and peace of a nation, risking their lives and reputations. They envisioned a country where citizens of all colours and creeds would be considered equal. Chief Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli was one of these freedom fighters who was later awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. The museum dedicated to this man is situated in the town of KwaDukuza Stanger (formerly known as Groutville) in KwaZulu-Natal, right in the home that Chief Luthuli occupied in 1927." (SA Venues)
John Ross Statue
The story of John Ross represents bravery and the will to help those in need. John Ross was just twelve years old when he set out on a six-month, 600km march with 30 Zulu warriors to the Portuguese settlement of Delagoa Bay (now Maputo) to get medical supplies for his compatriots in distress at Port Natal.
"John was only 10 years old when his ship, The Mary, was wrecked off the Zululand coast in 1825. The boy survived and settled at Port Natal. He became one of the first white people to meet and befriend the great Zulu king Shaka Senzagakhona, thanks in part to his distinctive red hair. The statue of John Ross is on the Victoria Embankment in Durban, in front of John Ross House." (Sun International)
King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo
A man who represents the struggle South Africa faced amidst colonialism and imperialism. He was the last King of the Zulu people to be recognised by the British and lived through a tense historical period.
"In 1890 Dinuzulu was exiled for seven years to the island of St Helena for leading a Zulu army against the British from 1883 to 1884. The statue of King Dinuzulu stands opposite an existing statue of General Louis Botha, his comrade-in-arms, on the corner of Berea Road and Warwick Avenue in Durban." (Sun International)
Nelson Mandela
Tata Madiba's statue was erected at the Ohlange Institute in 1994 to commemorate the casting of his first vote in our country's first democratic elections.
"In 1994, Nelson Mandela cast his vote in South Africa's first democratic elections at Inanda's Ohlange Institute, fitting given that the first president of the African National Congress, Dr. John L. Dube, established this school in 1901." (South Africa.net)
His statue stands next to one of John Dube, another great figure in South Africa's history, and is located in the Inanda area as part of the revamp of the Inanda Heritage Route.
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