DESPITE flaring tension amongst students at UKZN after the country’s statue debacle reached the Durban campus, the university has made a decision to address the matter after the Easter holiday.
According to Lesiba Seshoka, corporate communications spokesperson at UKZN, the university has set an urgent Naming Committee meeting to review the status-quo of all statues and buildings on all campuses.
“The meeting will take place shortly after the Easter recess, when members of the committee become available. A meeting between the Vice-Chancellor and Sasco has also been scheduled,” she said.
The decision was taken after a statue of King George V was vandalised outside Howard College last Thursday.
Scores of students gathered around the statue in heated debates, on the day, discussing the statue which had been painted over in white paint and a black T-shirt with the words: “End White Privilege” inscribed along with other messages on paper, had been stuck to the statue.
When Berea Mail asked gathered students if they knew who was responsible for the vandalism, they became defensive and asked if the journalist was doing a police investigation.
Students who refused to divulge their identity for fear of reprisal, told Berea Mail, many people had a clear view of why the statue was vandalised.
“It doesn’t matter who did it (painted over the statue), but why it was done,” said one student. Adding, “The statue is defaced because it represents colonialism, inequality and does not fit in with the democratic South Africa we are building!”
Another student agreed, saying, “The crux is that many students see this statue as a symbol of oppression and exploitation, which continues to this day. Many youth are unemployed, even though its 21 years after democracy, as a direct result of this gentleman.”
Another female student said she could relate to why the statue was defaced. “It’s not about white supremacy and I do think that if I was a white person I would feel horrible seeing this, but I believe it is a movement of change and has nothing to do with racism, but rather colonialism. If they want to kick him out that’s fine because he’s in the past and he must go,” she said.
“It isn’t about race and skin colour, but the conscious mind, and Black Consciousness. Any person of any race could have a consciousness that realises that such people created inequality. Everyone needs to be united in removing this statue and creating a platform for engagement,” said another student.
A student who was glad something was done about the statue said, “It is not a mere statue of a colonial guy who plundered SA, but a symbolic representation of tension between blacks and whites and the oppression extended by white people against black people.
“We are not speaking of it (the statue) as an entity, but a huge reminder of colonial discourse. It’s sad that some students don’t have a sense of history,” the student added.
Other students just laughed the statue debacle off, saying it was “just done because of what was happening at UCT.” (University of Cape Town)
Reports have since emerged that the statue was further defaced over the course of this week.
While the University is investigating the unlawful actions committed, Seshoka said no arrests have yet been made. “The university is deeply saddened and disappointed by the group of protestors who chose not to raise their concerns regarding the King George V statue through the proper channels established within UKZN,” she added.
Seshoka said UKZN supported students’ rights to exercise lawful freedom of expression and encouraged open debate and discussion, however, it did not condone any form of unlawful behaviour on the part of any student or staff member.
“The university urges all students and staff to exercise restraint and care in all manner of expression,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, civil rights organisation, AfriForum, has launched a campaign against what it calls the “ill-considered” relocation and removal of statues in public spaces. This is in reaction to the current spate of protest actions against the statues of several historical figures from all communities all over South Africa by people with “diverse ideological agendas”.
Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO of AfriForum explained, “Currently protest in favour of the removal of statues constitutes an easy way to get media attention for an ideological standpoint, results in the incitement of emotions and serves only to polarise South African communities even further. No-one benefits from these actions and the removal of the statues does not offer actual relief for the issues at hand.”
The current situation, she said resulted in political and media pressure with impetuous decisions being made about the future of statues and other memorabilia.
“It is necessary for all stakeholders to reflect calmly and in a balanced manner regarding the future of our past, before efforts to get rid of aspects thereof that may offend, causes irreparable damage to the South African cultural heritage.”
