EFF welcomes Stellenbosch University decision to remove Verwoerd’s plaque

28 May 2015

The Economic Freedom Fighters welcomes the decision by the University of Stellenbosch to remove a plaque commemorating the racist and apartheid leader Hendrick Verwoerd from the university campus wall. The university removed this plaque last night as part of its drive for transformation.

Equally, the EFF welcomes the affirmation by Verwoerd’s grandson, Willhelm Verwoerd, who welcomed the removal of the plaque and indicated that “the removal of the plaque is a victory for transformation”. Willhelm Verwoerd also added to say that honouring apartheid leaders in public rubs salt in the wounds of South Africans. The attitude of Willhelm is a shining example that all white South Africans who benefited collectively from apartheid and colonialism must embrace, emulate and celebrate.

The EFF therefore calls on all other universities that bare the names of colonialists and house statues in public spaces to also follow this example. Wits University which has a student residence named after Barnato who was a right hand man of Cicil John Rhodes and a library building named after Jan Smuts, must also follow the example. This must also apply to Rhodes University because its students have demanded its name to change.

The emulation of Stellenbosch University must also apply to the government of the day which is protecting statues of colonialists in our public squares. We call on them to lead a non-negotiable removal of colonial statues as they perpetrate white supremacy and celebrate anti-black racism.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, May 28 2015