Nelson Mandela Shadow Boxer Statue in Ferreiras Dorp, Johannesburg, Gauteng

The “Shadow Boxer” Statue by artist Marco Cianfanelli

Opposite Chancellor House, between Chancellor House and the Magistrate's Court stands the statue of Nelson Mandela as a boxer, a monument to his early beginnings in Johannesburg. Nelson Mandela enjoyed the art of boxing although he said he did not enjoy the violence of boxing.

The sculpture was inspired by the photograph taken by Bob Gosani in 1953 on the roof top of the South African Associated Newspapers building in Johannesburg. At the time Nelson Mandela was sparring with Jerry Moloi.

The statue was unveiled on the 25th May 2013 and the widow of Bob Gosani was a guest at the unveiling.

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and the Bailye’s African Archive assisted the JDA to commission this statue on behalf of the City of Johannesburg.

Sculpture Features

• 6 meter mild steel sculpture
• Cost of the statue was R470 000
• Painted steel plates of grey charcoal and black.
• Second largest statue of Mandela in the city
• Unique design and lighting allows it to cast shadows on the Magistrates Court building at night

This statue defies description and has to be seen on site to be appreciated. Definitely one of the sites that must be on the visitors’ list for Johannesburg site seeing.

Chancellor House

It was in this 3 story building that Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo ran a law office together in the 1950’s and is now a Heritage Site. It is not open to the public but has information on the windows.

Chancellor House is a freedom struggle museum because these two men started here at the grass roots of the struggle in a peaceful way to try and effect change.

The building is across the road from the Magistrate's Court where Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo used to defend their clients and it was in this very same court that Nelson Mandela was sentenced under the Suppression of Communism Act in 1952.