Chairperson, the ANC is disappointed by the City of Cape Town's decision to give permission to a film production company to remove the statue of former President Nelson Mandela temporarily for an international movie shoot. Mandela delivered his speech after he was released from jail at the Grand Parade in Cape Town on 11 February 1990.
On that day people from all walks of life came together to listen to Mandela's speak after years in prison. The statue plays a significant part in our history, and to remove it, displays the city's arrogance of Madiba's stature and his place in our history. The statue was removed on the anniversary of a famous address he made to more than 250 000 people on the day of his release from Victor Verster Prison, now known as the Drakenstein Correctional Centre.
The statue's removal was apparently at the request of a member of film crew. Removing the statue to clear the way for a film shoot is to wipe away the memory of the