The stature done by David Mutasa of Mbuya Nehanda original commissioned by the government was initially released to the public after the President had gone to view it. When it was shared on social media there was a huge backlash at the depiction of Nehanda as a young girl and some were especially offended by the perky breasts and her protruding buttocks. There was a feeling that Nehanda had been overly sexualised and that would be offensive for her to be remembered in such a way. It was not just the issue of sexualisation that was an issue but that of her likeness too. She apparently did not look like the Nehanda image that had been in the public domain over the years.
With the pressure from Social media, the government did a u-turn and had another stature commissioned, a 3-metre high bronze statue. This was unveiled at a ceremony on May 25, 2021, which coincided with Africa Day. The statue was erected at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way, two iconic African leaders.
