Destroying Kruger statue will not heal nation from injustices of the past, says Tshwane mayor
“South Africans should tear down apartheid-era symbols. The apartheid statue of Paul Kruger belongs to the Apartheid Museum. This statue must only be seen by colonialists not the generation of today.”
Tshwane’s mayor has slammed the EFF for stirring up hatred among different cultures and races during this weekend’s Heritage celebrations.
The mayor’s criticism follows an EFF picket in Church Square in the Pretoria CBD to have the “colonial statue” of Paul Kruger removed, while the country celebrated Heritage Day on Friday.
Regional EFF chairperson of Tshwane Obakeng Ramabodu said the party in Tshwane had long ago launched a campaign where they called on the metro to remove the statue immediately replace substitute it with a different one.
“South Africans should tear down apartheid-era symbols. The apartheid statue of Paul Kruger belongs to the Apartheid Museum. This statue must only be seen by colonialists, not the generation of today.”
However, Tshwane metro mayor Randall Williams said the EFF’s actions disregarded the importance of South Africa’s heritage and incited hatred amongst various cultures and races.
Williams said the DA condemned the EFF’s picket.
“It is unacceptable for the EFF to use this symbolic day to call for destruction and racial division within our country instead of bringing our people together.
“Destroying this statue will not heal the nation from the injustices of the past. For the nation to succeed we must learn from the past and each other’s history.”
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Williams said now was not the time to break down, remove or destroy, but to unite, learn and rebuild.
He said the DA believed more open spaces for additional statues and heritage sites should be created in aims to come together to reflect on the past and focus on the future.
“South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity we can win as a nation. Now is the time to come together as we build a caring society with an active citizenry,” he said.
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