The South African government has said that the lat Nelson Mandela's statue will be erected at the Presidency next week.

 The Department of Arts and Culture in a statement made available to newsmen stated that President Jacob Zuma will unveil the former president Mandela's statue at the Presidency (Union Buildings) on Monday adding that the statue is made of bronze with a height of 9 meters.

 On December 5 2013 Mandela passed away at his residence in Johannesburg at the age of 95.

 His body has been lying in state at the Presidency building since Wednesday and will be buried at his home village of Qunu in the southern province of the Eastern Cape on Sunday.

 The unveiling of the statue according to the statement, is intended as acknowledgement of the contribution of the first president of a democratic South Africa, a symbol of national reconciliation and unity.

 Monday is the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa, which is held annually on December 16 since the democracy was established in 1994, aimed at fostering the national unity.

 Mandela was sworn in as the first democratically-elected president in May 1994, succeeded by F. W. de Klerk in June in 1999.

 The statement further indicated that the installation of the statue at the Union Buildings is part of the department's ongoing work to develop new symbols and monuments that reflect their collective aspirations as South Africans and the new values they stand for.

 The department hoped that it could become a site of pilgrimage for domestic and international visitors.

 On Tuesday the national memorial service for Mandela was held at the South African largest stadium of FNB Stadium here, attended by the officials of South Africa and 90 more countries as well as the international organizations like the United Nations and African Union.