The Mandela Capture Site

This Thursday we are celebrating another public holiday, Freedom Day. 27 April commemorates the day in 1994 when the first democratic election was held in South Africa. History was made as this election was the first in which citizens of all races were allowed to participate, resulting in the appointment of arguably one of the most iconic Presidents in the world.
Nelson Mandela had been on the run from the South African apartheid government for 17 months, a feat that had earned him the name ‘Black Pimpernel’. But his luck was ran out when police waved down an Austin Westminster on 5 August 1962 at a roadblock on the R103 near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal. At first he pretended to be a chauffeur named David Motsamayi, but the police called his bluff and arrested him right there.
Until recently, the Mandela Capture Site was just a small bricked area with a plaque. Today this iconic place is commemorated with an impressive steel sculpture and visitor centre to give full recognition to the significance of this spot.
The sculpture is a collaboration between artist Marco Cianfanelli and Jeremy Rose. The sculpture consists of 50 steel columns between 6 and 9.5 meters high, along a thirty-meter length, which can be seen from the road looking like a forest of steel poles. From the road it looks like randomly planted poles, but they hold a majestic secret. Visitors need to turn into the Mandela Capture Site. From the car you will be lead down a path that represents “the long walk to freedom”. Keep your eyes on the pole structure as you will be in for a great treat. At a certain point the 50 linear vertical steel columns line up to create the illusion of a flat, two-dimensional image magically recreating Madiba’s portrait, metaphorically announcing his return to the site of his disappearance from world view.
This iconic landmark is just a short drive from Durban and will be the perfect outing to celebrate Freedom Day with your family.
Source:
South African History
South Africa Tourism