Cape Town – The violence that Anglo-Boer war general Louis Botha represents prompted Black People’s National Crisis Committee’s national spokesperson Songezo Mazizi to fling human excrement on his statue in front of Parliament’s main entrance.
The protest on Friday came days after the beheading of colonialist Cecil John Rhodes’ bust at the Rhodes Memorial site near UCT, and as the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which has seen a number of confederate and colonial statues removed in the US, UK, Belgium and New Zealand, gained momentum.
Mazizi, also a #FeesMustFall activist, told the Cape Times yesterday that his protest was inspired by UCT #RhodesMustFall activist Chumani Maxhwele, when he threw poo on Cecil John Rhodes’ statue in 2015.
“It’s the violence the (Botha’s) statue represents. Louis Botha is responsible for killing our people and also it’s a continuation of #BlackLivesMatter and #RhodesMustFallOxford,” Mazizi said.
He said the move was also to put pressure on Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa to release the report he established, focusing on colonial symbols.
“It’s only South Africa that still celebrates the oppressors. We call for Minister Nathi Mthethwa to take the same position as Germany.”
Asked why it was important for the statue to be removed, Mazizi said: “So we can be able to put the history at rest.”
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana yesterday said an investigation into the incident on Friday was continuing.
Cape Times