A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched to create a statue of one of the world’s most famous political figures in Glasgow.

The Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation (NMSMF) is campaigning for funds to erect a statue of Nelson Mandela in the city.

Glasgow was the first city in the world to award him the Freedom of the City in 1981.

The foundation now want to continue his legacy by erecting a statue on Nelson Mandela Place.

Councillor Eva Bolander, Lord Provost Glasgow, Sir Alex Ferguson Freeman of the City of Glasgow and Mr Brian Filling, Honorary Consul for South Africa in Scotland have all backed the campaign.

Sir Alex Ferguson CBE praised Nelson Mandela as a special man who was an example for the world to follow.

He said: “The remarkable thing about Nelson Mandela was his complete lack of bitterness at being imprisoned for 27 years.

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“You have to be special to put to one side what he endured and suffered for over a quarter of a century and then go on to lead his country to democracy and influence his people in such a massive way. Nelson Mandela was special.

“For decades the ordinary people of Glasgow have played a terrific role in the anti-apartheid movement and as a Freeman of this great city I am proud to play my part in this campaign to honour a very special man.”

Brian Filling who organised Mandela’s visit to Scotland in 1993 and was a guest at his Inauguration as President of the Republic of South Africa in 1994, added: “Nelson Mandela’s death in December 2016 led millions around the world to mourn his death and celebrate his life.

“This spontaneous desire to mourn the death and celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela was also deeply felt and expressed by the people of Glasgow and Scotland when many hundreds of people crammed into Nelson Mandela Place on that cold December night just like they did when the street was re-named in 1986 and when Mandela was released from prison in 1990.

“The idea of creating a permanent and public memorial – a statue in Nelson Mandela Place –grew out of that spontaneous and moving tribute. In our opinion, Nelson Mandela Place is historically, politically and functionally the ideal location to site a statue of Mandela.”