Standing the test of time, or did they?
The rich history of our city is captured in a variety of statues situated across the city.
POLOKWANE – Polokwane boasts with a selection of statues, including old Boer generals. But the most remarkable pieces revolve around two different music styles, namely Kwela and boeremusiek.
These statues can be seen in the Polokwane square, also known as the Sculpture Art Park, where wedding parties often gather to have their pictures taken.
The city’s first woman mayor, as well as different political leaders also feature among the busts on show in the square.
Not all those commemorated in stone are celebrated however, as a spate of vandalism saw many statues defaced and torn down in April 2015. Many of the statues affected formed part of the square since the 1900s.
Read more: Leave the statues alone, locals say
A number of statues were stolen to be sold for scrap metal, as was the case with “The Statue of the Unknown Child Hero in the Polokwane Concentration Camp”. This statue had been stolen several times but was recovered before it was taken again in 2015, and has still not been found. All that is left of the once historic statue is the slab that it was placed on.
Read more: Statue of the ‘child hero’ still missing
Four busts of historic figures were removed from the Polokwane Museum, located at the Library Gardens following the attack on sculptures in the city. This came after information was received that one of the statues had been vandalised with paint. The statues of Stephanus Schoeman, Koos Grobler, Hans van Rensburg and Johan Jorrisen were removed by the Moolman Group.
The Moolman Group informed the Office of the Municipal Manager through written correspondence on 14 April 2015 of their intentions to remove the statues located at the Library Gardens for safekeeping. The company further indicated that they have in the past donated statues of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki to the Polokwane City Council and that their actions be viewed with only one motive, which is to preserve the country’s diverse cultural heritage.
Statues depict events that make up our history, and pay homage to those influential people who played a part in building our society. The preservation and erection of these statues is vital to nation building. It is important that we honour those who have gone before us and erecting statues is just one of many ways to achieve this.
Read more:
MISSING STATUES: Not due to vandalism
