Public memorials and monuments under scrutiny
by Sean O'Toole
A recent announcement that the bust of former Transvaal Republic president, Paul Kruger, is to be removed from its current location at the entrance to the Kruger National Park has sparked heated public debate. Hoping to bring an informed perspective to the debate is the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA).
SAHRA, an official organisation sanctioned to identify and manage South Africa's heritage, is currently in the process of auditing a select number of public monuments and memorials. Although limited in scope to only "a few cities", the aim is of this initiative is to draft a policy document that will assist the agency in managing these contentious symbols commemorating the nation's divisive history.
"There is general acceptance that history cannot be rubbed out," reads an official press release drafted by the agency, which is calling on the public to communicate their views on statues and memorials in general a questionnaire has been posted on SAHRA's website, www.sahra.org.za.
"Statues are put up for a purpose, much planning is done and they cost a lot," further reads the agency's public appeal. "We know that the Kruger bust was made in the late 1960s and we know where it stands. But do we know what the original purpose was and why the bust was placed where it is? Answers to these questions will help us to understand the circumstances of the time."
The SAHRA questionnaire is available in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Sotho and Tswana. For further enquiries contact SAHRA at info@sahra.org.za or (021) 462 4509. The deadline for participation in this debate is midnight August 17.
