Unveiling of the Nelson Mandela Statue in Glasgow

That the Parliament welcomes the unveiling of a bronze statue of Nelson Mandela in Nelson Mandela Place in Glasgow, on 9 October 2026; recognises that the date marks exactly 33 years since Mr Mandela visited the city in 1993, where he received a hero's welcome and addressed a crowd of 10,000 people in George Square; understands that the monument, which was based on a competition-winning design by the sculptor Alan B Herriot, cast in bronze by Powderhall Foundry, placed on South African granite finished by Leiths Natural Stone and erected on foundations laid by Sir Robert McAlpine, will serve as a "permanent memorial to Mr Mandela and the struggle of the South African people against the racist and inhumane system" of apartheid; commends the tireless work of the Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation (NMSMF) in making the statue a reality, paying particular tribute to its officers, including the chair, Dr Brian Filling, the vice chair and project manager, Janis Carson and the secretary, John Nelson, who also served as secretary of the Scottish Committee of the Anti-Apartheid Movement; recognises the Foundation's wider work in developing an associated education project with the West of Scotland Development Education Centre (WoSDEC) to teach future generations about Scotland's history of solidarity and the ongoing fight for human rights, justice and equality; acknowledges the historical significance of Glasgow's pioneering role in the global anti-apartheid movement, having been the first city in the world to award the Freedom of the City to Nelson Mandela in 1981 while he was still imprisoned, thanks to the efforts of the then Lord Provost, Dr Michael Kelly, who subsequently launched a UN-backed declaration for Mr Mandela's release supported by over 2,000 mayors worldwide; recalls Glasgow District Council's defiant decision in 1986 to rename St George's Place Nelson Mandela Place, forcing the South African consulate-general, which was based in the Glasgow Stock Exchange building there, to change its address to the name of its most famous political prisoner; celebrates what it sees as the unique bond between Glasgow and Nelson Mandela; notes that, during his 1993 visit, Mr Mandela stated that, while he was denied freedom in his own country, "a city 6,000 miles away, and as renowned as Glasgow, refused to accept the legitimacy of the apartheid system, and declared us to be free", and that he was heartened during his imprisonment by the knowledge of such international solidarity; welcomes the attendance at the unveiling of HE Jeremiah Nyamane "Kingsley" Mamabolo, South African High Commissioner to the UK, alongside the South African singer, Marah Louw, who sang and danced with Mr Mandela during his 1993 visit, and the current Lord Provost of Glasgow, Jacqueline McLaren, and hopes that the new statue will inspire all who see it to remember the power of standing up for what is right and the difference that the people of Glasgow can make in the wider world.