Destroying our heritage sites incites hatred and disregards our rainbow nation
Date: 24 September 2021
As the nation celebrates Heritage Day, we challenge all South Africans to unite despite our differences, to learn from each other and rebuild our nation.
South Africa is a richer place because of our diversity and heritage sites are a unifying force to help us build our nation. The diversity of our beliefs, culture, and language is what sets us apart as South Africans.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns in the strongest terms the EFF ‘s picket for the removal of the Paul Kruger statue as part of celebrating Heritage Day. These actions disregard the importance of our heritage and incites hatred amongst different cultures and races.
It is unacceptable for the EFF to use this symbolic day to call for destruction and racial division within our country instead of bringing our people together.
Destroying this statue will not heal the nation from the injustices of the past. For the nation to succeed we must learn from the past and each other’s history.
Now is not the time to break down, remove or destroy, but to unite, learn and rebuild.
The DA is the only party that is diverse and big enough to bring people together and we believe that we should create more open spaces for additional statues and heritage sites, where we can come together to reflect on our past and focus on our future.
The DA in Tshwane has worked hard in our campaign, wards, and city to ensure that we have regular clean-up campaigns at all our heritage sites such as the Solomon Mahlangu Square, Church Square, Komjekejeke Cultural Village, Voortrekker Monument, the Synagogue, parks, and cemeteries.
Together through these campaigns and visits to our cultural heritage sites, we champion the preservation of all cultures and their heritage in our country.
South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity we can win as a nation. Now is the time to come together as we build a caring society with an active citizenry.
#PaulKrugerMustFall pic.twitter.com/R8yXn8assM
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 23, 2021
Statement issued by Cllr Randall Williams - DA Mayoral Candidate for City of Tshwane, 24 September 2021
