Security for UFS's Marthinus Steyn statue

Bloemfontein - Security guards were protecting the statue of Marthinus Theunis Steyn at the University of the Free State from further vandalism on Thursday.

About 10 security guards had been on guard since early morning, protecting the likeness of the Orange Free State's president, after it was slightly vandalised.

EFF protesters pulled down and vandalised a statue of Charles Robberts Swart at the university on Tuesday morning. They burnt tyres at the foot of the statue, and used hammers and rocks to get it down. 

CR Swart served as the last Governor General of Union of South Africa from 1960 to 1961.

On Tuesday, EFF supporters in red T-shirts and berets, spilled onto the campus and blockaded the main gate, while others vandalised the statue and law buildings.

The protesters smashed glass cabinets and spray-painted the words "Robert Sobukwe Law School" on one of the buildings.

Student Representative Council vice president, Mpho Khati, told students they were the university's new management and would make the institution ungovernable until their demands, which included that the university directly employ contract workers, were met.

The CR Swart statue was still lying in a pond in front of the law faculty on Thursday afternoon.

This article first appeared on News24 – see here. 

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