President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his weight behind the removal of statues and monuments of past oppressors.
During a virtual address on Heritage Day, Ramaphosa said any symbol, monument or activity that glorifies racism has no place in democratic SA and should be repositioned and relocated.
It is unclear when Ramaphosa plans for the statues and monuments to be repositioned and relocated.
Here are five quotes from his address.
United nation
“Building a united nation means we must be aware of and check our own acts of racism and prejudice continuously.
“We come from a history of prejudice and exclusion, and since democracy we have worked to transform the heritage landscape of our country.”
Repositioned and relocated
“The naming and renaming of towns and cities forms part of this, as well as the erection of new statues and monuments.
“Monuments glorifying our divisive past should be repositioned and relocated. This has generated controversy, with some saying we are trying to erase our history.”
Non-racial society
“Building a truly non-racial society means being sensitive to the lived experiences of all this country’s people. We make no apologies for this because our objective is to build a united nation.”
No place for racist symbols
“Any symbol, monument or activity that glorifies racism, that represents our ugly, has no place in democratic SA. The struggle against apartheid was first and foremost aimed at ensuring all our people should reclaim their dignity, black and white.”
Eradicate poverty, inequality and underdevelopment
“We will continue to strive to eradicate poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment. We will continue to uphold the rights of all our people to practise their cultures, to speak their languages and practise our traditions.”
