Litter gathering around Oom Paul lamented
The barbed wire fence erected around the Paul Kruger monument on Church Square has been labelled as an ill-advised move that is bad for business on the square.
Andrew Ngozo
The security fence and barbed wire put around the Paul Kruger monument on Church Square has been labelled as ill-advised and bad for business by local business people.
Owner of Café Lamé Riché, Lamé Ebersohn said business was at an all-time low since the fence was put up last year.
She said: “I have been operating my business on the square for the past 21 years and now, because the monument is fenced off, business has gone down. People are not able to visit the monument, to get close to it so it’s futile for them to pay pilgrimage to Oom Paul.”
While there were valid reasons to fence off the monument after repeated attacks, Ebersohn said people could find other ways to protest than to vandalise the monument.
“What we have seen happening with the monument is not in line with the Cool Capital that we want to build. Instead this has reduced the monument to a dirty and littered place which even cleaners are unable to clean properly,” she said.
Ebersohn suggested the metro consider other options for securing the monument. “I think barbed wire is a primitive way of protecting a national monument. The metro could hire security personnel to protect the monument or employ other subtle forms of security. Protesters can use the statue to make a statement by, for instance, dressing it up with party regalia or adorn it with items that reflect their cause,” she said.
DA councillor Elma Nel has deplored the litter around the monument. “It’s sad to see that people have lost their sense of pride in our capital. We were raised to leave only footprints, not rubble. It’s our responsibility to teach our children the same values,” said Nel.
Ebersohn has formed a Facebook group, Kerkplein Pretoria Church Square for concerned citizens to voice their opinions. Alternatively, people can reach her at paul@churchsquare.org.za.
Mayoral spokesperson Blessing Manale was unavailable for comment at the time of publishing.
Also read:
Church Square statues defaced again
Steve Hofmeyr objects to statue vandalism in Church Square
Church Square statues vandalised again
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