During a recent meeting of the Ekurhuleni Metro Council, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) voted against an ANC motion to remove the First World War Monument in Germiston.
This Monument was erected to honour South African soldiers who died in the First World War.
According to the ANC, it is an apartheid monument.
The Freedom Front Plus pointed out that the First World War ended in 1918, 30 years before apartheid was introduced in 1948.
Removing a monument commemorating South Africans’ sacrifice and bravery due to grievances rooted in the apartheid era is historically inaccurate, morally unjustified and demonstrates sheer ignorance.
The ANC’s argument hinges on the Afrikaans inscription, “aan ons roemryke dood” (to our glorious dead), which they claim contradicts the values of a democratic and non-racial society.
The Freedom Front Plus, however, believes that unity is fostered by expanding historical narratives, not erasing them.
In addition, the Freedom Front Plus also pointed out that over 25 000 black South Africans served in the First World War, with more than 1 200 losing their lives, including over 600 who perished when the SS Mendi sank – a largely untold story.
The party urged the Council not to demolish monuments but to focus on erecting new statues instead. It would allow the untold stories of black and coloured people who sacrificed their lives for the country to be shared.
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