Durban - Visitors to Durban’s Mitchell Park will now not only learn about the fauna and flora but will also leave with a better understanding of culture, says Mitchell Park Trust chairperson Dr Sanil Singh.He was speaking at the unveiling of bronze busts of King Goodwill Zwelithini and Nelson Mandela, and the Sivananda Peace Pillar in the park’s open space area on Thursday.
Singh said the park attracted about 60000 schoolchildren a year, along with tourists, and the new features would influence social cohesion.“The park is visited by all racial groups. They will now be educated on cultural history,” Singh said.
The project is the initiative of philanthropist, humanitarian and businessman Ishwar Ramlutchman, of the Sivananda Peace Forum.“The bronze busts are the first to be installed in a public place, highlighting their contribution towards peace and stability in South Africa.“I decided to honour them by commissioning this monument of peace in honour of them. The Zulu monarch has contributed tremendously in nation building,” Ramlutchman said.
The statues stand on either side of a platform with the peace pillar in the centre.
A wall with a plaque depicts the history of South African cultures and racial groups.Ramlutchman said the display of diversity showed the country as a rainbow nation and the rich heritage it possessed.
“The plaque contains the history of the Indian indentured labourers, the coloured people, the history of the Afrikaners, the preamble to the Constitution, and the life and times of Zwelithini and Mandela,” said Ramlutchman.