North West gov scraps plan to build R6 million Zuma statue, opts for monument instead

So there’s some good news and some not so good news. Following public outcry over the estimated R6 million it would have cost to erect a bronze statue of number one, the North West ANC government has decided it might be best not to proceed.

Read: DA slams North West ANC’s plans for R6 million Zuma statue

Instead, the North West department of arts and culture has said it will be replacing the planned statue with a planned monument instead.

Groot Marico is the site where, back in 1963, Zuma was arrested while on his way to Zambia for military training alongside 45 other MK members.

The original ad calling on bids for the life-size statue of el presidente was cancelled, but the North West government’s Shuping Sebolecwe told News24 that they’d devised another plan to get Zuma’s name up on the side of any structure they could.

“There is no longer a need for the services but rather a need to build a monument. The budget that will be availed will be for the capture site of J Zuma. The advert has been retracted and the new advert calling for proposals will be issued in the next edition,” Sebolecwe told the paper.

Groot Marico is a severely impoverished municipality, with poor road infrastructure and service delivery, which is the case the DA in the province made when the ANC announced its vanity project a few months ago.

The opposition’s Joe McGluwa told News24 it’s a good sign that the statue project had been scrapped, adding that North West premier Supra Mahumapelo made the right choice.

“He was very bold and said no one will stop him. He will go ahead and honour the president with a statue,” McGluwa said.

“We will oppose any plans to honour President Zuma. We can’t honour a man with a legacy of unemployment and corruption.”

While the DA had vehemently opposed the erecting of the statue, labelling it a waste of R6 million that could have gone to the poor people of Groot Marico, the ANC in the province maintained that a statue to Zuma would serve the people well; because as we all know, you can eat and drink statues and their mere presence alleviates poverty and fills up potholes.

“Our children will through this statue know the selflessness of our struggle icons and the role they played in defeating apartheid and ushering in a democratic order,” ANC spokesperson Brian Setswambung said.