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COPE President Mosiuoa Lekota today welcomed the removal of the bust of Hendrick Verwoerd in Midvaal, but urged South Africans to use this moment as a catalyst for reconciliation and unity, rather than a source of division. Lekota also cautioned against the populism and opportunism from some organizations that characterized the campaign to remove the statue from Midvaal.

"Statues such as those of Verwoerd and other Apartheid leaders have no place in prominent public squares, as it glorifies a regime that oppressed the majority of South Africans. For those of us who were incarcerated on Robben Island, not to mention the families of the victims of apartheid, such monuments are hurtful and deeply offensive. The wounds are still fresh."

Lekota said that while the vast majority of South Africans are deeply offended by statues of former apartheid leaders, these relics should not just be binned.

"Merely removing these statues and putting them under lock and key would be a missed opportunity. Perhaps what would be most appropriate is a legacy project, where all these relics are placed in an outdoor museum that would serve as a part of a modern centre to educate future generations, tourists and interested parties. There are many possible locations for this, one of which may be Robben Island, for example. These statues can then be put into the context of the history of oppression in South Africa and the continuing struggle for reconciliation and social justice. "