Mr Mandela is presented the June 16 commemorative statue by Ms Sithole
Sept 30, 2008 – Former President Nelson Mandela was today presented with a statue from Antoinette Sithole, the sister of the late Hector Pieterson, the first victim of police bullets in the 16 June 1976 uprising.
Ms Sithole, who works as a guide at the Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto, paid a visit to Mr Mandela at his office in Houghton, Johannesburg. Mr Mandela is now completely retired and doesn’t often receive visitors but he indicated that he would personally receive Ms Sithole when it was agreed that she could bring the statue to his office.
She presented him with a statue based on the famous photograph by Sam Nzima of Mbuyisa Makhubu carrying the wounded 12-year-old Pieterson with Ms Sithole running alongside. This statue, however, includes a new element – that of Mr Mandela standing in front of the group with his arms outstretched.
Engraved on the plinth are the words “Celebrating the truism that each generation stands on the shoulders of the achievements of previous generations”.
Ms Sithole was part of a delegation from ‘The June 16, 1976 Foundation’. She was accompanied by Titi Mthenjane, Chairman of the Board, Thabo Ndabeni, the Board’s Secretary and Seth Mazibuko, the acting CEO of the Foundation.