The controversial wax monument of the late hip-hop artist Riky Rick, which had been on display, has been demolished.

This follows the alleged threat made against a Durban-based sculptor, Lungelo Gumede, by Riky Rick’s brother, Themba, on Sunday, March 6, according to reports.

 

 

Lungelo created the monument in memory of Riky Rick and asked the public to come and see it for free.

However, Riky Rick’s family was dissatisfied with the outcome, claiming that the monument was erected too quickly while they were still grieving.

This compelled Lungelo to wrap it in brown paper and barricade it from public view until it was repaired.

Fans, on the other hand, swarmed to the Bat Centre in Durban, where the statue was on display, and Lungelo was forced to remove it, further infuriating Themba.

The Daily Sun obtained a copy of the text texts in which Themba claimed that Lungelo is personally benefiting from the monument, despite the fact that admission is free.

He also expressed his desire that he would not be required to transport Lungelo to a location he does not like to visit.

The People’s Paper said that after destroying his artwork, Lungelo expressed satisfaction with his decision.

“It cost me around R60 000 to construct this monument. I created it out of a deep affection for Riky Rick and for art. I’d been feeling threatened, and I couldn’t take it any longer. So, in order to put an end to the threats, I decided to demolish the monument. “It took me approximately a week to construct it, but just a few minutes to demolish it,” Lungelo said. ”

He said that he believed Themba did not grasp his role as an artist or the significance of his brother’s status as a public person.

Lungelo expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that he was denied permission to erect a monument but Big Zulu was permitted to record a tribute song and Rasta The Artist was not chastised for sketching an image of Riky Rick.

To this, Themba responded with an admonition in text messages: “Do not compare you constructing a monument of Riky to Big Zulu, who he worked with and had a personal connection with outside the entertainment sector.”

Lungelo has previously created wax sculptures of politicians, famous religious leaders, movie stars, sports players, and a wide range of other artists, among other things.

By the time this article went to press, Themba had not returned our phone calls or responded to our SMS messages.