AfriForum: "Defacing of statues Zuma's fault"

Civil rights group AfriForum said that President Jacob Zuma is to blame for the spate of vandalism involving statues that has engulfed the country. The President's statement that all of the country's problems had originated with the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck was the catalyst for the numerous incidents of vandalism that have since taken place.

According to Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, Zuma's statement labelled Afrikaners and whites in general as scapegoat for all of the country's problems. "The violation of statues representing Afrikaner and other prominent figures of the past, are a symptom of the growing intolerance towards Afrikaners and South African minorities in general, resulting from Zuma's comments," Bailey added.

The EFF have since made maximal use of the emotion that the initial statement had unleashed, by hijacking the anti-statue debate for personal ideological gain, exploiting the media attention it had generated with great zeal.

Bailey pointed out that if statues like that of Paul Kruger, that represent an important part of Afrikaner heritage, no longer is welcome in public, the question may be asked whether Afrikaners are still welcome in the country under Zuma's leadership. "Instead of displaying leadership by taking a strong stand against the defacing of any statue, President Zuma rather rolled out the red carpet for the notorious violator of human rights and racist, Robert Mugabe," Bailey said.

AfriForum is of the opinion that in the light of the vandalizing of statue, Zuma should withdraw his derogatory statements, apologize and to do everything possible to promote mutual recognition and respect amongst South African communities. Until that happens, any attempts by the authorities to stop the cycle of vandalism will lack credibility, in Bailey's opinion.

Meanwhile, the Solidarity Movement, of which AfriForum is a part, is going ahead full steam with the implementation of a ten-point plan for heritage conservation. Bailey mentioned that the plan inter alia involves a donation of R100 000 to the Heritage Foundation (Erfenisstigting) for the repair of damaged statues, as well as legal action against the EFF, for inciting the continued defacement of statues.

Statement issued by Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO: AfriForum, April 13 2015