A public participation exercise was run in order to get input of the people of Cape Town[15] It was done by Patricia de Lille, Alan Winde and Helen Zille[16][17] The unveiling was attended by guests from all over the world.
[18] Special guests were Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Professor Njabulo Ndebele‚ chairman of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
[21][22] Dali Tambo’s[23] company Koketso Growth[24] obtain the tender and commissioned Xhanti Mpakama and Barry Jackson to make the statue.
It will include people involved in the struggle for freedom, events that happened just prior to his release and the first democratic election.
[31][32][33][34][35] On 11 January 2019, the day that celebrated the 29th anniversary of Mr Mandela's release, the statue was temporarily removed as a film company was shooting a movie on the parade.