Cape Town - An unidentified group tried to cut down the Cecil John Rhodes statue in Cape Town’s Company's Garden with an angle grinder on Wednesday morning.
The attempt to fell Rhodes, which took place at about 9.30am, was unsuccessful though. The statue remains standing with only some minor damage to one leg.
DA ward councillor for the City Bowl, Dave Bryant, confirmed the attempt on Twitter.
@davebryantct tweeted: “To confirm an attempt was made to cut down the Rhodes statue in the Company's Gardens this morning by a group with an angle grinder.”
By 11am, three security officers were standing guard around the statue.
The security guards, who did not want to be identified, said they were in the vicinity when the group approached the statue. The guards said they thought the group were simply there to do maintenance, as they were dressed in construction-looking clothing.
However, they then hopped up onto the statue and began trying to cut it down.
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