One statue down, many more to go and it looks like next in the firing line is that of former president Paul Kruger in Church Square, Pretoria.
The UCT Rhodes statue has been boarded up and it looks like the removal of the controversial statue is imminent. Buoyed by that success and the fact that the country is talking about such issues Tshwane’s executive mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, has put his support behind the ANC Youth League’s call for the removal. This from News24:
He said it was in line with “our culture of continuous engagement” and definition of “South Africa’s post-apartheid capital”.
The mayor said that the city had not initiated the plan to remove the “Oom Paul” statue.
“We believe that the current national debate offers an ideal opportunity to the much-needed discussion on the city’s identity.”
The ANCYL insists that Kruger’s statue and his “two bodyguards with guns ready to shoot to kill” the first “three founders of our democracy” should be replaced.
‘Oom Paul’, in case you are wondering, served as president of the South African Republic from 1883 until 1900. He is buried in the famed ‘Heroes’ Acre’ in Pretoria.
So just who would the ANC Youth League like to see replace Kruger? News24 again:
We want a 15m high statue of our first three presidents, namely Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.
No mention of Julius? I’m sure he will be bitterly disappointed.
[source:news24]
