South African activists pour paint on monuments to protest colonial legacy
Global Times Nigeria reports that a group of activists is organizing a four-day demonstration against colonialism in South Africa, during which participants will pour paint on colonial-era monuments and cover them with white sheets.
The initial focus of the demonstration was an equestrian statue of the distinguished politician and industrialist Cecil Rhodes, erected in the town of Kimberley. Rhodes’ head was covered with a white cloth, and the horse was stained with red paint. The local inhabitants alerted the police to report the act of vandalism.
“It wasn’t vandalism but rather an artistic exploration of historical symbols,” said Tshepo Tlalogang, one of the organizers of the protest. “The ‘paint’ is actually clay that can be wiped off. We achieved what we set out to do – not to provoke – but to get everyone to sit up and notice and to get people talking. No one has approached the city’s history from this perspective.”
Tlalogang added that the red paint on the monument symbolizes the bloody effects of colonialism on the indigenous peoples of Africa.
He also noted that the activists are not calling for the demolition of colonial and apartheid-era monuments, but intend to use them to protest. He said the organizers have a list of monuments that will be targeted for protest in the coming days.
Rhodes (1853 – 1902) was the founder of the celebrated De Beers diamond company in Kimberley. He later served as the head of the government of the Cape Colony in South Africa. Rhodes played a pivotal role in establishing the colony of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia). In recent years, the remaining Rhodes monuments in South Africa have been subject to repeated attacks.
