‘We Build?’
No, it’s ‘We destroy!’
If a slogan had to be devised for South Africa, it might be cynically, yet truthfully: We destroy.
Hardly a week goes by without reports of monuments, statues, museums, graves, and other treasures being damaged or destroyed.
The extent of the decay is, at times, staggering.

Sabie landmark falls into ruin

This past week, photos circulated on social media showing the popular train restaurant in Sabie, known as the Smokey Restaurant, which has transformed from a cheerful hangout into a filthy, squalid den.
At the entrance to the restaurant, there was a sign reading ‘Beware of the trains’, with the inscription ‘Donated by Jan van den Bergh’ beneath it.

That sign was unearthed from the loco in Nelspruit, cleaned up, and donated to the restaurant by my brother, Jan.
Like various other items of interest, the sign is now gone. The restaurant was more than just a place to eat; it was a tourist attraction. Last year, the restaurant was put up for auction.
The owner, Stefan Rademeyer, explained that the railway carriage is still part of the estate of his father, Ampie, who passed away in 2021.

The carriage has been put up for auction three times, without success.
In the meantime, its contents have been sold privately.
“There were break-ins every other week, and the windows were constantly being smashed; meanwhile, municipal bills kept piling up. We simply couldn’t go on like that any longer,” he said.

Vandals plunder Botshabelo heritage

Over the past few weeks, there have also been reports regarding the ongoing decay at Botshabelo.
But it is not merely decay. A lead-type printing press, donated to the site museum by the Middelburg Observer, has gone missing, likely cut up for scrap metal.

Gerrie Gerrits, owner of Pienaardam and a local farmer, said that farm implements, including tractors that once belonged to his late father, have disappeared, also presumably cut up for scrap metal.
Numerous other items housed in the historic Merensky House have also been carried off.
Metal crosses on the graves of German missionaries have been removed.

Heritage sites across the country suffer damage

– In July 2020, the statue of Cecil John Rhodes (in Cape Town) was sawn off using an angle grinder and removed

– In April, the bust of General Koos de la Rey (in Lichtenburg) was vandalised and its head broken off; shortly after, his grave was also targeted

– In August, the Blood River Heritage Site (in KZN) was struck by what is suspected to be arson. Large sections of the campsite, borehole pumps, and electrical infrastructure were destroyed or severely damaged

– Many museums are unlikely to survive much longer. The Talana Museum in Dundee went for weeks without electricity or water
– The Steynsburg Church Museum (in the Eastern Cape) was looted; copper handles, electrical cables, and municipal meters were stolen

– The Ampie Bosman Cultural History Museum (Lichtenburg, North West) was destroyed by fire and has also been subjected to vandalism on several occasions

– The Jan Wessels Museum (Dealesville, Free State) was damaged during an act of arson

– The roofs of the Winburg Voortrekker Museum (Free State) leaked, which led to serious damage to numerous historical items