Cape Town - Student protestors on Wednesday occupied Rhodes Avenue in Mowbray as they waited for an announcement about the fate of the Cecil John Rhodes statue at the University of Cape Town.
“If this statue is to fall, it will mean to me that the University of Cape Town is beginning to see the serious need for transformation in education,” said student protestor Roscoe Jacobs.
Jacobs, a member of the African National Congress Youth League, said the student protest was the continuation of the struggle for decolonisation and economic freedom.
Another student protestor, Masixole Mlandu, said if the statue was to be removed, this would prove the collective strength of black students.
“Black - using Steve Biko’s definition - will have shown their power and then, a real discourse on transformation can begin.”
The announcement from UCT’s Council - the institution’s highest authority - regarding the statue’s fate was expected at 6pm on Wednesday.
ANA