The killing of black people by law enforcement officers in the United States and incidents of racism in some parts of Europe have caused worldwide protests, including South Africa. As part of the Youth Day celebrations, the SABC takes a look at some of the similar protests in the country, campaigns like #Fees Must Fall and the removal of apartheid colonial statues.
In 2015, students at various tertiary institutions in the country began the #Fees Must Fall movement in protest against exorbitant academic fees. The movement was then followed by a broader campaign to get rid of the colonial and apartheid statues. Little did the activists know that their campaign will be paving the way for other nationals to follow suit.
On Tuesday, there are growing calls from other countries for colonial statues to be demolished, with at least one brought down in Bristol under the campaign Black Lives Matter. Here at home young people in 1976 began the protest against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. Activists again are renewing their call, for apartheid and colonial statues to fall.
One of the pioneers of the hashtag Fees Must Fall campaign, Chumani Mxwele says the statues represent the old order.
“The symbolism of statues in our public places of cause it’s a product of apartheid and colonialism, Rhodes must fall in gardens, Botha must fall in front of Parliament.”
These statues scattered all over the country have their history rooted in colonialism and apartheid. While there is a view that they must be kept in museums, some believe they must be completely destroyed.
Vuyani Pambo, who is now an EFF MP and a former Fees Must Fall campaigner elaborates.
“What we ought to be doing as black people, we ought to be organising so that we blow and destroy all these statues. That are a sore and a thorn in black people.”
Those against them say they must be replaced by statues of former freedom fighters.
In this video below, Youth Day celebrations are discussed:
