Nelson Mandela mural in Easton (Image: Olasart.com)/Photo Courtesy

The Bristol South African community held a block party to commemorate the day. A new mural of Nelson Mandela has been completed in Bristol to mark 30 years since the end of the apartheid in South Africa. Artist, Nick Halahan, was commissioned to paint the portrait of the iconic leader, who spent decades in prison before becoming the country’s first Black leader in 1994.

The mural is located at the Pickle Factory in Easton. The building on All Hallows Road is open at selected times for community and private hire events but otherwise the mural remains behind a locked gate.

The work was completed on Saturday, April 27- known as ‘Freedom Day’ in South Africa. Sisanda Myataza, the lead curator for the event and mural, said: “I'm so proud that people in Bristol and across the globe still recognise Mandela as the iconic role model that he was.

"I believe that he was an exceptional example of grace, forgiveness, and an evolved human spirit. When I asked Nick Halahan to paint a mural during our Freedom Day bloc party, he was over the moon. I couldn't have asked for a better artist to work with, he was the perfect person for the job.

“April 27 is marked as Freedom Day annually in South Africa and it was incredible to be able to celebrate the 30th anniversary here in Bristol. We served South African traditional foods, Chakalaka, Samp and Beans plus boerewors. I overheard a few South Africans in attendance exclaim, "oh wow- A taste of home!" And I knew at that moment that we had achieved our goal. Freedom and Liberty should be a right for all."

Nelson Mandela was an activist in the South African anti-apartheid movement and become the country's first Black head of state after spending 27 years in prison for his activism. The South African apartheid, which ended in 1994, involved discrimination against black people and racial segregation enforced by an all-white government.

The anti-apartheid movement was global and Bristol was considered be home to one of the most active groups in the UK with 1,000 members at its height. Activists in Bristol created apartheid free zones for shopping as part of the campaign to boycott South African products at the time. By Yvonne Deeney Community Reporter, Bristol Live