WATCH: Ramaphosa unveils Tambo, Mandela statues in Durban as DA pickets

The nine-metre monument to the ANC's first president, Oliver Tambo, was unveiled at the beachfront on Tuesday morning.

The president then unveiled a second statue of Nelson Mandela at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Dignitaries and guests gathered for both ceremonies.

The installations form part of the city’s plan to strengthen heritage tourism and attract more visitors.

The two bronze structures cost a combined R22 million.

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba reflected on the historical importance of the location.

"It was on these grounds that his statue stands, where he made a declaration that we must close death factories,” he said.

“We must throw our pangas, spears, and guns into the sea. He made that statement in the midst of violence. That is two weeks after he was released from prison."

However, the unveiling has not been without controversy.

The DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate, Hanif Hoosen, led a demonstration along the beachfront.

"The money belongs to the people, and what we expect from our city leadership is to fix what's broken first,” he said.

“If they are serious about tourism, they should have invested that money in the sewer infrastructure. We have sewage flowing into our oceans. That's why the tourists have disappeared, and you are not going to bring the tourists back by putting up statues."

The municipality insists the project was financed through its tourism budget, not through service-delivery allocations.

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