Mourning is Over as the Legacy Lives on with new Madiba Statue

President Jacob Zuma will officially unveil a new Madiba statue on Monday morning at 10 am at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The statue of the former South African President stands nine-metres tall, and the unveiling will be part of commemorating the National Day of Reconciliation and the Centenary of the Union Buildings.

This event is taking place a day after the funeral of Nelson Mandela, and signals the start of celebrating and living the late Madiba’s legacy and the end of the mourning period.

The mourning period ends tonight (15 December) at midnight.

From tomorrow, 16 December 2013, the national flag shall be raised and fly as normal.

Former President Mandela is associated with the promotion of reconciliation which is why the day was chosen for the unveiling. The statue is expected to draw large numbers of people to the Union Buildings, which will also be declared a National Heritage Site.

The Union Buildings turned 100 years old last month, November 2013.