We never said Zuma’s statue would cost R6m, says Mahumapelo

Speaking at an event this week, North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo again defended his decision to erect a statue to President Jacob Zuma and blamed the media for the untruth that it would cost R6 million.

The amount was actually first mentioned by the DA, who appeared to confuse the statue’s height, 6m, with its alleged price R6 million. The premier has confirmed that the tender makes reference to “6m”, not R6m”.

He mocked the media and “people” for believing it, saying that analysts also allegedly believed it and wrote about it. (Editor’s note: For the record, The Citizen from the start pointed out that the DA was probably just confused).

Amounts are normally never mentioned on tender documents, as prospective service providers are meant to bid on government projects.

The following video in reaction to all the confusion was uploaded by the premier’s office on Tuesday.

A tender was advertised on National Treasury’s website, calling for bidders who wish to build a statue of Zuma six metres tall. There is not yet any indication of what this statue will cost the taxpayer, with some asking why Zuma is getting a statue ahead of former president Thabo Mbeki or other major figures of the ANC.

Tender number CATA116/2016, apparently issued by the department of arts, culture and traditional affairs in North West, is set to help build “lifelike bronze statue and plaque” of the president in Groot Marico under Ngaka Modiri Molema Local Municipality.

“Sculpturing services for the design, manufacturing and installation of 6m lifelike bronze statue and plaque of President Jacob Zuma in Groot Marico under Ngaka Modiri Molema Local Municipality,” reads the tender information on National Treasury’s website.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) came out to condemn the ANC in North West for the advert, and said that there was nothing to celebrate in Zuma, “a man who has so brazenly broken our laws”.

The Groot Marico area near Zeerust, in the North West, is where Zuma was captured by apartheid security forces in 1963.

According to SA History Online, Zuma was detained under the 90-day detention law in solitary confinement at Hercules Police Station, where he was interrogated and beaten, “although the police already had enough evidence to secure a conviction”.

In an official statement, the DA alleged that the North West government would spend R6 million in building the statue. It said this was an indication that Mahumapelo puts Zuma and the ANC ahead of the poor residents of the province.

Mahumapelo responded, saying no apology was needed and the building of the statue would go ahead. He has compared the statue to how Nelson Mandela’s arrest was memorialised by the Nelson Mandela Capture Site artwork in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal.