AFRIFORUM AND DA WIN COURT BATTLE RE RESTORATION OF GREAT TREK MEMORIAL
AfriForum, Standerton DA Councillor Rosier de Ville and Action Committee Standerton have won their court battle to have the Great Trek Memorial in Standerton - which was destroyed by this town's mayor, Ms Queen Radebe-Khumalo - restored, with costs.
Judge Eberhardt Bertelsman today in the Pretoria High Court made a settlement between the parties in the case an order of the court, in terms of which the Great Trek Memorial must be restored and the Lekwa Municipality must accept responsibility for the cost of the restoration process.
The municipality has also been ordered to pay the legal costs of AfriForum, De Ville and Action Committee Standerton. In terms of the court order, Radebe-Khumalo and the municipality are also prohibited from damaging or relocating another memorial in Standerton - the Concentration Camp memorial.
The Great Trek Memorial, which was erected in 1988 at the Standerton City Hall as part of the 150-year commemoration of the Great Trek, was dug up on instruction of Radebe-Khumalo on 12 April last year by means of a grader. It was seriously damaged in the process and its pieces subsequently dumped on a refuse dump. According to Council documentation, the municipality intended doing the same with the Concentration Camp Memorial.
According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, today's court success not only is a victory for AfriForum, the DA and the residents of Standerton, but for all in the country who would like to promote mutual recognition and respect amongst communities and believe that all heritage resources should be conserved. "Today's court order also has to serve as a clear warning to all in the country who are in positions of authority as Radebe-Khumalo is, that they cannot simply do as they please," Kriel added.
DA Councillor, Rosier de Ville, was elated at the court order.
According to De Ville, he will immediately lay claim to the pieces of the memorial in terms of the court order and will personally ensure that the memorial will be restored. De Ville indicated that he will also monitor Radebe-Khuma lo and the municipality to ensure that they will not make themselves guilty of cultural vandalism and such an abuse of power again.
Judge Bertelsman described the destruction of the memorial in his ruling as an "unfortunate action".
Statement issued by Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum and Rosier de Ville, Democratic Alliance Councillor, October 30 2008
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