Mahdia monument was ‘smaller’ of two options

The monument erected in the town of Mahdia, Region Eight, has no significance to the town, and in fact was the “smaller” of two options, an official at the Ministry of Communities has reported.

The dolerite rock was selected and simply placed at the centre of the town; no sculpting was done.

Pictures of the monument have gone viral on social media, with many expressing shock and amusement that it seems to resemble the male genital – a giant-sized one that is.

Owing to the embarrassment, officials in the Region have refused to comment. The Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, who has his office in Mahdia, said he was not authorised to speak to the media on the issue. He referred comments to the Ministry of Communities.

There, an official with knowledge of the issue did not want to be named.

The official, who has intimate knowledge of the project, said the rock was taken from Eagle Mountain and was the smaller of two options offered by a mining company in Region Eight. He said the first option was too heavy to transport; that first rock weighed some 30 tonnes.

And so, the second option was decided it; it is some 12 tonnes lighter than the first option.

The monument was commissioned by President David Granger last Thursday.