Government is set to begin a comprehensive process of conducting a national audit of all the statues in the country to decide which of these heritage symbols should be removed or remain.
The process will start next week and it is expected to be completed by March next year.
Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nocawe Mafu, made the announcement during an oral question and answer session in the National Council of Provinces in parliament.
“The reality of the situation is that we can’t just decide at our whim, as the department, that we are removing this statue and not removing this one. That’s that is critically for us that the audit is done first-and then once that audit is done, there is then a consultation process. And also allow experts in history and heritage to actually play an advisory role so that once that is done we decide which one must be restored.”
As South Africa celebrates Heritage Month in September, the debate on whether colonial statues or relics of white domination should be removed or kept has surfaced again.
Some say keeping the statues would serve as a reminder of South Africa’s painful past.
Others say the statues should be removed as they are offensive.
Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa says they should be removed and confined to a theme park.
