Mass audit of all statues and monuments in South Africa – some of which could be relocated to aid ‘transformation’
Sport, Arts and Culture minister Nathi Mthetwa says that his department will undertake a mass audit of the country’s historical monuments over the next year.
Responding to a recent written parliamentary Q&A, Mthetwa said that the audit forms part of his department’s transformation efforts. He added that no budget allocation had officially been set aside for the project as yet.
“It is too early to know what budget allocation will be made available to relocate and curate statues, monuments and memorials that are not in line with the spirit and values of the South African Constitution.
“The first phase of the transformation project, which is the national physical audit of statues, monuments and memorials in all 52 districts of the country, will be completed in the first quarter of the next financial year.
“The due diligence exercise will result in a costed implementation plan on the basis of which informed decisions about budget allocations can be made,” he said.
Name changes
The audit forms part of the greater ‘transformation goals’ at the department, which includes the naming and renaming roads, landmarks, towns and cities across the country.
In February, Mthetwa gazetted a number of name changes for towns, cities and airports in the Eastern Cape – the most notable change being that of renaming Port Elizabeth as Gqeberha.
Mthetwa said that the transformation of the naming landscape in South Africa is ‘a critical component of the heritage landscape as a whole’, adding that the names of places need to reflect the identity and cultural heritage of the people of South Africa.
The minister said that South Africans should expect more name changes in the future, depending on the needs of communities who submit proposals to start the process.
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