AfriForum demands action after renewed defacing of Kruger Monument

AfriForum takes note of the renewed vandalising of the Kruger Monument on Church Square, Pretoria, with grave concern and disappointment.  Last night, green paint was thrown at the statues of the Boer sentries that form part of the Monument.

According to Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, the Tshwane Metro clearly does not fulfill its promise to safeguard the Monument.  Complaints will be submitted in this regard by AfriForum to the relevant authorities.  AfriForum contributed to a fund managed by the Heritage Foundation which is used for the restoration of vandalized monuments.  The Foundation is lauded by AfriForum for excellent work in this regard.

The depiction of a community’s past plays an important role in its relationship with other communities in a shared environment.  Dr. György Tatár, President of the Budapest Centre for the International Prevention of Genocide and MassAtrocities, emphasized in a presentation made to the UN Forum on Minority Issues in 2014 that the distorted portrayal of a community’s past can directly contribute to acts of violence being committed against them.  It is therefore of the utmost importance that the heritage of all communities should be preserved and portrayed in context.

Bailey said AfriForum will continue focusing on the promotion of a culture of mutual recognition and respect for the heritage and viewpoints of all communities.  It will also endeavour to prevent the abuse of the current heritage debate for the purposes of driving a transformation agenda.  It will also ensure that elements of Afrikaner heritage will be preserved and portrayed in historical context.  In addition, South Africans are encouraged to support institutions that focus on heritage conservation, such as the Heritage Foundation.

“The future of our past rests in our hands and cannot be left at the mercy of ideologically-driven cultural terrorists armed with paint,” Bailey added.

More information on the planned heritage conservation programmes of AfriForum and other institutions that form a part of the Solidarity Movement will be announced on Saturday 10 October 2015 at the Conference for the Future, hosted by the Movement.

Issued by Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, 6 October 2015