Rubusana bust is still waiting one year later

A R95000 memorial bust of the late Dr WB Rubusana has been left to collect dust in a Buffalo City Metro warehouse.

The bust, made from marble and granite by Stan Pohlman of Crankshaw Marble and Granite, was donated to BCM by the provincial department of sport, recreation, arts and culture (Dsrac). It was unveiled in March last year after the regional ANC proposed to change its name from Buffalo City to Dr WB Rubusana.

The bust was unveiled outside the East London City Hall by the then mayor Alfred Mtsi, Dsrac MEC Pemmy Majodina and ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane.

BCM has still not formally identified a permanent location for the bust and it has since been moved to a warehouse.

Before the unveiling, BCM did not consult relevant stakeholders as to where the bust should be placed, said metro spokesman Sibusiso Cindi.

“At the moment, there’s no final decision as yet as to where the statue will be placed and we are consulting various stakeholders on the issue of placement,” he said.

But mayoral committee member of development planning Pumla Nazo revealed that the placement of the statue was not the issue; the bust donated by Dsrac was incomplete and still needed some features.

Nazo said BCM had been asked to build a stand for the bust and the metro was currently going through procurement processes.

“BCM and Dsrac had both agreed that the bust should be placed outside the city hall.

“Nothing has been changed as to where it should be,” said Nazo.

Asked how much the metro would spend on the stand, Cindi said: “At the moment we would not like to divulge that to the media.”

The Rubusana family could not be reached for comment.