JOHANNESBURG, July 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A planned statue dedicated to former South African president Nelson Mandela will be tall enough to eclipse the Statue of Liberty in the United States, South African newspaper Die Burger reported on Tuesday. 

    The statue, called the Freedom Monument, has a spiral design that will stand 122 meters high, taller than the American symbol of freedom, which stands 305 feet (92.99 meters) above the New York harbor, said the report.

    Local authorities of the southern city of Port Elizabeth announced the winning design of the monument as Mandela, a widely-respected anti-apartheid hero and Nobel Peace Prize winner, turned 87 on Monday.

Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela (L) and wife Graca Machel celebrate Mandela's 87th bithday in Johannesburg July 19, 2005. (Xinhua/AFP)

    The statue of 50 million rand (7.6 million US dollars) will be erected in the harbor of Port Elizabeth, which is near Mandela's ancestral home and has already been included into a larger metropolitan area named after Nelson Mandela.

    The report said judges were impressed by the tower design by Equilibrium Studio Architects, which symbolizes Mandela's long walk to freedom.

    Executive mayor Nceba Faku told the newspaper that while it was difficult to say when construction will start, the project must be completed by 2010, when South Africa hosts the soccer World Cup tournament.

    However, uncertainty remained as to when the land on which the monument is to be erected will be under the control of the Nelson Mandela metropolitan council. 

    Die Burger said Transnet, South Africa's state transport group,owned the land on which the monument is to be built and negotiations were underway between the Mandela Bay development agency and Transnet.

    Development agency of the freedom monument has never hidden their aspiration for the project's role in boosting local economy.

    A feasibility study showed that "a bold tribute to freedom" would attract between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors a day, generating over 365 million rand (55 million US dollars) a year for the metro and create more than 1,000 jobs. Enditem