R100 Million Mandela Multi-Purpose Center Set To Bring Thousands Of Tourists To The Midlands.

The construction of the R100 Million Mandela Multi-Purpose Centre, which is billed as game changer for tourism in the Midlands is almost complete.

According to Dube-Ncube the investment made by government into this project will ensure that the Province leverages its rich heritage connection to the life and legacy of the late Dr Nelson Mandela. “The sculpture that we built here at the Mandela Capture Site a few years ago has grown in stature and we have had hundreds of tourists local and international that have made their way into the Midlands and had visiting this sacred site as one of the highlights of their visit. This for us is a clear indication that we have something special as a Province which we need to build on so as to ensure that we maximise the opportunities that are made available by having this historic site” said Dube-Ncube.

The MEC together with representatives from the Mandela family and uMgungundlovu Mayor Cllr Thobekile Maphumulo visited the Capture Site recently and inspected the progress being made in the construction. Once the centre is completed it will consist of a conference centre, a museum specifically focusing on the heritage of this Province.

The site is also the key focus area for the Mandela Day Marathon which is an annual half-marathon that attracts close to 20 000 participants each year. This Marathon which starts at the Manayi Hall in Edendale which was the last public gathering that Mandela addressed prior to being arrested by apartheid government forces on 5 August 1962. This race finishes at the Capture site the place where he was arrested.