IMMINENT UNVEILING: Wrapped in controversy — eThekwini mayor defends R22m statues amid service delivery crisis

Durban’s giant bronze statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, still wrapped in plastic, have become unlikely festive-season punchlines and a lightning rod for anger over service delivery. Critics call the R22m commission vanity spending amid sewage failures and potholes, while Mayor Cyril Xaba insists the unveiling is imminent.