Focus on Statue of Paul Kruger, Church Square and analyze the Controversy.
Following the end of apartheid in South Africa, there had been calls for the removal of the statue from its location due to it being viewed as an "icon of apartheid" by some African National Congress activists. In 2015, following the Rhodes Must Fall campaign in Cape Town, the statue of Paul Kruger was vandalized with green paint thrown on it. The Economic Freedom Fighters initially claimed responsibility but later retracted this when the City of Tshwane stated its intent to open a criminal case of malicious damage against the perpetrators. Following the vandalism and a pledge by the EFF to destroy the statue, numerous people voiced support for the statue. Sunette Bridges chained herself to the statue to prevent further damage, with Afrikaners in military uniforms starting to guard the statue. A rally also took place next to the statue requesting it to be left alone as part of South Africa's cultural history. This ended with Steve Hofmeyr singing the former national anthem of South Africa, "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika". The statue has subsequently been ringed by 1.5m high fencing and is not directly accessible to the public.
City of Tshwane Paul Kruger African National Congress Rhodes Must Fall Cape Town Economic Freedom Fighters South Africa Afrikaners apartheid Die Stem van Suid-Afrika Steve Hofmeyr