Young people want Oom Paul to stay
The DA is opposed to the removal of the Paul Kruger statue in Church Square. They have called on South Africans to focus on real issues in South Africa such as unemployment.
A group of young Democratic Alliance (DA) members on Friday 10 April protested at the now infamous Paul Kruger statue, calling for the piece to remain in place.
DA Youth Gauteng North Media and Publicity Chair Dumisani Thwala was leading the group who spent the day calling on the youth of South Africa to consider the larger issues facing the country, and not trivialities such as statues.
“There is such a rich history to Paul Kruger. He helped shape this city. Just as people now reject colonialism, so did Kruger. He fought against it. His actions also led to the Tswana people settling where they are now. He is a part of this country’s legacy,” said Thwala.
The DA call comes after weeks of protests by right wing Afrikaners, led by singers Sunette Bridges and Steve Hofmeyr, against vandalism and the removal of the statue, with different calls from members of the Economic Freedom Fighters for the statue be removed.
Thwala added, “If the issue at hand is really about transformation, then removing a statue won’t do anything. It won’t change unemployment. In the end, if we remove all the statues, we will end up with nothing. We have to stop focusing on small issues like statues and start focusing on the true issues that face this country. We need to eliminate unemployment, crime and poverty, not our heritage,” said Thwala.
Read: Afrikaners descend on Church Square
Reaksie op verskuiwing van Kruger-standbeeld
EFF ‘proud’ of its members for defacing Paul Kruger statue
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