Ireland's Ambassador to South Africa, Fionnuala Gilsenan, says The March to Freedom celebrates the role that the Irish anti-apartheid movement played to help to dismantle the regime

A hundred life-sized bronze statues of South African icons have been illuminated in green as part of Ireland’s Global Greening Initiative to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Every year iconic landmarks around the world are lit up to celebrate Ireland’s national day. This year, The Long March to Freedom exhibition at Century City in Cape Town is among more than 600 sites globally to have gone green.

Ireland has a long history with the anti-apartheid struggle South Africa faced, including cultural, academic, and sports boycotts.

Last night, these life-sized bronze statues of South Africa’s heroes in the struggle for freedom and democracy took on a green hue to mark St Patrick’s Day – Ireland’s national day of celebrating its culture and heritage.

Ireland’s Ambassador to South Africa, Fionnuala Gilsenan, says The March to Freedom celebrates the role that the Irish anti-apartheid movement played to help to dismantle the regime.

“Ireland’s anti-colonial struggle was something that inspired African leaders and particularly those who struggled against apartheid and today we’re also launching an exhibition here at The Long March to Freedom that celebrates the role that the Irish anti-apartheid movement played to help to dismantle the regime here, and of course in that way we also celebrate the role of Kader Asmal who was an extremely important figure in Ireland in that regard.”

At a time when COVID-19 has thwarted the traditional ways of celebration and travel plans of many Irish in the diaspora wishing to travel home; it’s hoped the greening of iconic sites across the world will unite and comfort.

Spokesperson for the National Heritage Project Company, Sarah Haines, says they hope it will give many Irish citizens a sense of community.

“We hope it will give them a sense that they are still part of the community that they can’t make direct contact with at the moment. We hope that they will come to visit us, we hope that they will come and celebrate the ideals that are embodied in this exhibition which are the same ideals that they the universal ideals of humanity and liberty and democracy that the Irish people themselves have fought for.”

The Irish Embassy says over 35 000 Irish citizens and many more of Irish heritage are living in South Africa.

Mlamli Maneli | SABCNews

18 March 2021, 4:15 PM