Rhodes statue to be removed for safekeeping

09 April 2015 - 09:25 By RDM News Wire

It’s official: The statue of Cecil John Rhodes will be removed from the University of Cape Town grounds today. The UCT council last night voted in favour of removing the statue from UCT’s Upper Campus.Last night’s meeting was a special sitting called in response to a month-long series of protests by students‚ as well as the university senate’s 181-1 vote to take the statue away.The university’s vice-chancellor had launched a programme to review symbols and names last year‚ but “the depth and breadth of feelings on the issue unleashed by the student protest challenged us to accelerate the consideration of the Rhodes statue‚ in particular”‚ the council’s chairperson‚ Archibishop Njongonkulu Ndungane‚ said in a statement released early this morning.While Ndungane said “this process has been orderly and deliberative‚ canvassing the views of students‚ senate‚ academic and PASS (professional‚ administrative and support staff) staff‚ convocation‚ alumni‚ and the public’‚ protesting students stormed the room where the council had convened last night.They refused to leave until the vote was held.Ndungane said that as the “Upper Campus precinct is a declared Provincial Heritage site” it is subject to heritage legislation.“UCT will immediately submit an application to Heritage Western Cape to have the statue removed‚” he said. “However‚ in view of the council decision‚ we have concerns about the safety of the statue and believe that the only way to protect it while Heritage Western Cape is considering our application‚ will be to temporarily remove it for safekeeping.”“The university will now continue with the planned review of other symbols and names over the remainder of this year. Furthermore the student engagement on this issue has added an energy and urgency to addressing many other aspects of transformation and has mobilised members of the university community not previously seized with the issue.”..

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