Diversified miner Exarro Resources and the Rotary District 9400 have installed a 1-m-tall replica of the famous Nelson Mandela Statue that is located in Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg, to allow the visually impaired to touch and ‘see’ the statue in their own way.

The statue is located close to the original and also has a braille plaque for the visually impaired to read.

This project was approved by Stanlib, which owns Nelson Mandela Square, and fully supported by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the South African National Council for the Blind.

It was defined and modelled by artist and sculptor Kobus Hattingh, who was also responsible for the original statue.

Hattingh, who was present at the event, indicated that he was honoured to have designed both statues. He noted that the biggest challenge with the first statue was capturing the exact image of Mandela, which he was happy to have achieved in both statues.

The idea of the replica statue came about when Rotary Club of Kyalami project leader David Grant travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, in June 2013, and saw a replica statue for the visually impaired next to an original.

Speaking at the unveiling, he indicated that the original statue, as one of the most photographed statues in the country, enabled Mandela’s ethos of peace and reconciliation to be transmitted globally, which would be further enhanced by the replica, he noted.

Exarro CEO Mxolisi Mgojo said the unveiling of the statue was a legacy moment, as it would remain a symbol for people long after its creators had gone.

He indicated that Exarro, as a part of South Africa, was dedicated to contributing to the country’s current political, social and economic transition. Part of this entailed promoting the inclusivity of all people, which the statue would foster by creating accessibility for the visually impaired.

This was part of the company’s new mission to empower better lives in Africa and beyond, he said.

South African National Council for the Blind principal Modiri Matshwane emphasised the need to make the world more accessible to those with disabilities – which this project promoted – and not for them to have to adapt to the world.