The FF Plus views the EFF’s latest campaign to remove all colonial statues and memorials in the Nelson Mandela Bay as nothing but political opportunism.
The EFF plans to table a motion in the next NMBM council meeting to remove, among other things, the Prestor John Memorial, the statue of Queen Victoria, the Anglo-Boer War Memorial and the portraits of former white mayors.
This motion is sheer political opportunism on the part of the EFF, which usually wants to attract attention just before the elections. It makes no contribution to Nelson Mandela Bay residents’ general wellbeing.
Regardless of the origin of any statue, image or memorial of historical value, it ought to be respected and conserved because it is part of South Africa’s history and heritage landscape.
Simply not liking, knowing or respecting a certain part of our history does not give any individual or party the right to remove any statue or memorial that represents that part of history.
The FF Plus has always been of the view that history cannot be wished away by taking down statues or memorials. Instead, new statues and memorials ought to be added so that everyone’s history is represented.
The FF Plus wants to advise the EFF and ANC to focus on important matters, such as service delivery, rather than to busy themselves with disregarding and doing away with a history that brought them to where they are today, which is a democratic country and environment.
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