The statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that all symbols and monuments that date from the colonial and Apartheid eras must be removed and relocated to somewhere else because they cannot be part of the new democracy does not bring about nation building. Instead, it brings about polarisation and estrangement among the people and different ethnic groups in South Africa.
In Section 83 (c), South Africa’s Constitution determines that the president of the country has the duty to unite the nation. This kind of approach, however, does not create unity; it creates separation instead.
The sad truth is that the President has a warped view of the country’s history. Last year on Heritage Day, he referred to the Zulu’s as “freedom fighters” at The Battle of Blood River. The FF Plus corrected him with the SONA earlier this year.
It is clear that he is ignorant of the correct facts regarding the Afrikaner’s history and it is also clear that his latest statements about symbols were aimed at Afrikaner symbols.
As leader of the FF Plus, I am challenging the President so say exactly which statutes and monuments he wants to have removed and where he plans to relocate them to. He must refrain from making sweeping statements without providing more details seeing as this is an emotionally charged matter and people want more clarity.
Engaging with Afrikaner cultural organisations about the matter to discuss his plans is the very least he could do.
President Ramaphosa is on record stating that he would do everything in his power to ensure unity in the ANC even if it should mean that he would then be considered a poor president of the country.
The monuments-matter is a shining example of a poor president who is bowing the knee before his party at the expense of nation building. It is also a ploy to divert the people’s attention away from the corruption in the ANC because he himself recently admitted that the ANC is accused number one when it comes to corruption in the country.
President Ramaphosa was criticised for saying so from within the ANC ranks and now he wants to shift the attention to the Afrikaner and the country’s heritage dating from the colonial and Apartheid eras.
Instead of removing statues and symbols, he should rather focus on removing the corrupt individuals from the ANC and his Cabinet. Then he would be acting in the best interest of South Africa; just as he ought to.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Dr Pieter Groenewald on FF Plus
South Africa Today – South Africa News
