Statues: what should be done

POLOKWANE – SOME people in the city are of the opinion that the call to remove the statues of the Apartheid regime will not make anyone forget history.

One resident, Robert Malete, told Express that instead, the installation of statues of more black heroes would empower future generations.

This followed after the Moolman Group, which owns various properties in the city including Library Gardens, said it was compelled to remove some sculptures after one of them was defaced recently.

The defaced sculpture, a bust of Genl Stephanus Schoeman, who was president of the then Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) from December 1860 to April 1862, was removed together with the sculptures of Voortrekker leader, Lang Hans van Rensburg, former state attorney of the ZAR, John Jorissen and Veldkornet and assistant general of the northern areas, Koos Grobler, for safekeeping.

Moolman Group spokesperson, Peter Pratt, said they would consult the relevant stakeholders on the next step to be taken.

He said they were presently in discussion with various role players as to where the sculptures would be kept.

Municipal spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, said: “The company (Moolman Group) informed the office of the municipal manager through written correspondence on April 14 of its intention to remove the statues located at the property, Library Gardens, for safekeeping. The company further indicated that it had in the past donated statues of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki to the city council and that the company’s actions should be viewed with only one motive, which was to preserve the country’s diverse cultural heritage”.

The widespread vandalism of statues began a few weeks ago at the University of Cape Town after students demanded that the statue of Cecil John Rhodes be removed from campus.

The EFF called for the removal of the statues of colonial leaders, vowing to destroy what it described as symbols of white supremacy and Apartheid.