The old National Party stronghold of Krugersdorp is to be the site of a unique memorial site featuring a bronze statue of a mineworker and walls of remembrance for miners who died with their boots on.
The statue, created by sculptor Adam Madebe and local artists, will be unveiled on Heritage Day, September 24, in recognition of miners’ contribution to South Africa’s economy. The event will culminate in a concert by pianist Abdullah Ebrahim.
Mogale City mayor Lentswe Mokgatle told the Mail & Guardian that the site, next to the Krugersdorp station, had been chosen because Krugersdorp was part of the Reef gold mining belt that attracted miners from as far afield as Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Malawi, Trans-kei, Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal.
Research had also unearthed the bodies of Chinese miners who worked in the area in the early 1900s, which were later exhumed and sent to China for burial.
”Our partners in this project are the Chamber of Mines and the National Union of Mineworkers. Research will be done on the names of miners who worked and died in this area.
”Walls of remembrance bearing the names of the miners who died will be erected and the bronze statue will be placed in the centre of the memorial site,” said Mokgatle.
The unveiling of the statue is the beginning of a range of events planned by the Mogale Foundation to broaden interest in the area and promote tourism, particularly taking advantage of its world heritage status as the Cradle of Humanity.