It seems the daggers are out for white colonists who have left their presence behind in the form of statues. Where does this madness stop? History cannot be erased by destroying statues from the past.The exploitation and subjugation by the colonists was inherently wrong. However, they did bring engineering and building skills which resulted in the construction of brick and mortar structures, bridges, railways and roads.In spite of the despicable acts perpetrated by Cecil John Rhodes with the support of the British government, leading to the deaths of almost 4000 Boer women and 22000 children because of poor food rations and disease, he remains the greatest philanthropist this country has seen.The Rhodes postgraduate scholarship funds 83 exceptional students to study at the University of Oxford. This figure includes seven from South Africa. Rhodes is part and parcel of our history. He cannot be wished away.Students need to focus on real issues such as poverty, mediocre education, service delivery, rising petrol and commodity prices, job creation strategies, the energy crisis and the scourge of crime and corruption.Former president Thabo Mbeki recognised the efforts of various groups that shaped South Africa. Their actions were both good and bad. Taking down, desecrating and removing the statue of Rhodes or anyone else falls outside the ambit of reconciliation contained in Mbeki's speech and our constitution. Change cannot be dictated by a few hotheads whose narrative is governed by their own narrow agenda. ..