Three youths whose photograph mirrors the callousness and injustice of the apartheid regime are immortalised through a special sculpture at the Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin in Johannesburg.
It was inspired by photographer Sam Nzima's iconic picture of the shooting of teenager Hector Pieterson in Soweto in 1976.
The sculpture was created by artist Chaim Stephenson. In the memorable picture, Pieterson is being carried to safety and medical attention by Mbuyisa Makhubo, who is accompanied by the stricken teenager's sister, Antoinette. In the sculpture, Antoinette is missing, but the artwork's emotive power is still as palpable.
It is a replica of the one that was unveiled by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at St Mary's London sister church, the St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, in October 1994 and is called the Living South Africa Memorial.
It serves as a memorial to all those who suffered violence and injustice under apartheid in South Africa. "The sculpture, titled: Sinethemba (Zulu for 'We have hope'), is a gift from our Anglican brothers and sisters at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England," St Mary's dean Reverend Charles May said in the run-up to the unveiling at the cathedral at the weekend.
Reverend Sam Wells, the vicar of St Martins, said the sculpture was a stirring image that meant many things in many eras. "In 1976, it was a picture of the brutality and injustice of the apartheid regime, and the solidarity and resilience of the struggle to bring democracy and the rule of law to South Africa," Wells said.
"In 1994, it meant something a little different."
Wells said in 1994 the sculpture portrayed the burden the anti-apartheid movement had carried for so long.
"In 2013, when we at St Martin gathered with so many South African friends to mark the passing of Nelson Mandela, the image asked a question: Mandela had carried South Africa in his arms for so long; who would carry South Africa now?" Wells said 18 months later, the sculpture ought to remind of forgiveness, redemption and resurrection.
Echoing May's call for peace and reconciliation among all those living in South Africa amid the uncertainty that has been prompted by conflicting views around apartheid-era statues and the xenophobic violence, Wells said when one looks at this statue today, one recognises the power of forgiveness.
"Today it may be that this statue is a declaration of faith that the God who in Christ has brought forgiveness, is in the business of bringing resurrection too."
victorm@sowetan.co.za
