Yet another Buffalo City Metro statue has been defaced, this time in King William’s Town. The statue, a memorial to Queen Victoria in Maclean Square, was defaced with the letters EFF in red spray-paint.
The statue was unveiled in 1899 and commemorates the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign.
DA councillor Dillon Webb said BCM should put clear guidelines in place to protect all statues from vandals.
“In terms of the law, found in sections 27, 29 and 34 of the Heritage Act (Act 25 of 1999), all provincial heritage sites must be protected if they are 60 years and older.
“It is clear that Buffalo City has an obligation to protect and maintain our statues at all times,” Webb said.
“We cannot change history. Our country’s heritage is part of our history and simply cannot be ignored or taken for granted. Our statues in our cities and towns should be seen as a reminder of our past and on how far we have come in our young democracy.
“I will be writing to the Buffalo City municipal manager asking him to see to it that the statue is cleaned and what steps Buffalo City will put in place to ensure that our statues are protected from harm in the future.”
Economic Freedom Fighters regional leader Sabelo Hoya said he had seen the daubings on the statue.
Hoya said it was unlikely the culprit was an EFF member.
“I can confirm that we have seen it but I don't know who did it or why. The matter was discussed and none of our members indicated that they had any involvement in the matter. We have not as yet discussed cleaning the statue,” he said.
This is the second statue within the metro to be defaced this year.
In April the Daily Dispatch reported that the statue depicting the Anglo-Boer War, situated outside the East London City Hall, had been defaced with white paint.
The statue, which depicts British colonial military scout Captain JG Hearns on his horse Boodles, was unveiled in 1908 in memory of the officers and the men of the colonial division who lost their lives in the British war against Boer republic independence in 1899 to 1902.
It was defaced by four men who painted their faces silver to conceal their identities.
After they had splattered the statue with the paint, city hall security officers reported that the four ran away.
A case was opened at the Fleet Street police station.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said they had not been alerted to latest vandalism.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese could not be reached for comment at the time of writing. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za
EFF denies vandalising Queen Vic memorial
The statue was unveiled in 1899 and commemorates the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign.
DA councillor Dillon Webb said BCM should put clear guidelines in place to protect all statues from vandals.
“In terms of the law, found in sections 27, 29 and 34 of the Heritage Act (Act 25 of 1999), all provincial heritage sites must be protected if they are 60 years and older.
“It is clear that Buffalo City has an obligation to protect and maintain our statues at all times,” Webb said.
“We cannot change history. Our country’s heritage is part of our history and simply cannot be ignored or taken for granted. Our statues in our cities and towns should be seen as a reminder of our past and on how far we have come in our young democracy.
“I will be writing to the Buffalo City municipal manager asking him to see to it that the statue is cleaned and what steps Buffalo City will put in place to ensure that our statues are protected from harm in the future.”
Economic Freedom Fighters regional leader Sabelo Hoya said he had seen the daubings on the statue.
Hoya said it was unlikely the culprit was an EFF member.
“I can confirm that we have seen it but I don't know who did it or why. The matter was discussed and none of our members indicated that they had any involvement in the matter. We have not as yet discussed cleaning the statue,” he said.
This is the second statue within the metro to be defaced this year.
In April the Daily Dispatch reported that the statue depicting the Anglo-Boer War, situated outside the East London City Hall, had been defaced with white paint.
The statue, which depicts British colonial military scout Captain JG Hearns on his horse Boodles, was unveiled in 1908 in memory of the officers and the men of the colonial division who lost their lives in the British war against Boer republic independence in 1899 to 1902.
It was defaced by four men who painted their faces silver to conceal their identities.
After they had splattered the statue with the paint, city hall security officers reported that the four ran away.
A case was opened at the Fleet Street police station.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said they had not been alerted to latest vandalism.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese could not be reached for comment at the time of writing. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos