After a long-awaited 10 years of collaboration dreaming up this project, the University of Cape Town (UCT) announced the groundbreaking of the Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre on the grounds of its historic campus, thanks to the ‘single largest donation ever’ of $21,5 million (roughly about R387 million) from Atlantic Philanthropies.
It was indeed a day filled with remembrance of the graceful legacy of the great, late Madiba on Friday 17 May by UCT’s Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation in announcing the commitment to develop the proposed memorial centre and School of Public Governance.
This will be made possible through this single largest donation, as well as generous grants and pledges from a range of donors and alumni.
In the opening, interim UCT Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy said: “There are many, many people and organisations who have helped to make this ambitious project possible and a reality.
“And I start here with the generous grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies… Mr Chuck Feeney was the founder of Atlantic Philanthropies.
“Mr Feeney passed away recently and he mourned his passing. He was a modest man.
“He lived simply. He was humble. He believed in, and I quote, ‘giving while living’, unquote.”
Conceptualised to honour the legacy of Mandela, this iconic building will be hailed as a living memorial to emulate his leadership in the best way possible: by building a new generation of ethical leaders.
“The proposal is to build a new home for UCT’s Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and to create a vibrant convening space located within a memorial centre curated with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre and School of Public Governance will serve emerging leaders from across the African continent,” Reddy continued.
Adding to this exciting architectural venture is the fact that there is not yet a planned conceptual design of the physical building.
During the launch, it was announced that the precinct would be designed through an architectural design competition, to offer interactive public art installations, contemplative walkways, and meeting areas designed to facilitate catharsis, reflection and spiritual resonance; and provide for reflection on the life and times of Nelson Mandela.
This partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation aligns with UCT’s Vision 2030, a vision that extends beyond South Africa to embrace the entire continent and the world at large.
The Director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, Prof Faizel Ismail, emphasised the school’s commitment to building the capacity of the next generation of African leaders.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation Verne Harris said: “UCT has many historical links with Nelson Mandela and with his family members. It is appropriate that a Memorial Centre associated with his name be hosted by the university, especially in association with a school dedicated to nurturing the kind of leadership which humanity needs if we are to surmount the challenges confronting us.”
The centre will be located at the southwestern corner of UCT’s upper campus. This iconic setting offers an exciting opportunity to rehabilitate the landscape scarred by the devastating fire of April 2021, greatly enhancing the upper reaches of campus, and re-connecting campus to the mountainside above it.
The deliberate spatial juxtaposition with the adjacent Rhodes Memorial will invite dialogue and reflection on the respective roles and disparate legacies of Rhodes and Mandela.
While the statutory processes to realise this iconic project are still underway by a team of dedicated professionals, Professor Reddy invited UCT staff, alumni and students to celebrate this momentous occasion and to support the proposed Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre and School of Public Governance “as we work together to uphold Madiba’s vision of justice, freedom and human dignity.”
