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“The DA cannot change the history of South Africa by removing a statue,” was the reaction of Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus leader, following the removal of the statue of Dr. Verwoerd in Midvaal.

“The reasoning should not be whether one agrees with and individual from our history but whether it is part of our history. Queen Victoria had a part in the death of my family members in the British concentration camps. Because she is unfortunately part of our history I did not demand that her statue is removed at Parliament and other places in South Africa. Why doesn’t the DA now also remove the statues of Jan van Riebeeck in Cape Town ‘as the original conqueror’ and of Queen Victoria in Cape Town?” Dr. Mulder asked.

Where there is a feeling that history is not complete the FF Plus had in the past proposed that new statues are erected, for example, of previous ANC leaders, such as Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela. In the case of Midvaal Dr. Verwoerd was for many years the Parliamentary member for the Midvaal area and that is why his statue was erected there and to date had even by the ANC been left there.

In many African states one of the contributing factors for their permanent instability is the fact that all history, statues and street names of a previous president is constantly replaced by a new president.

Following the fall of the Berlin wall and the re-unification of Germany, it was decided that the communist statues and names in East Germany will be retained because it is part of their history. It is a more sensible approach to the country’s history. Another approach will mean that the PAC for example, will remove all ANC street names and statues should they take control of the country.

City councils such as Midvaal and a number of others should rather utilise municipal taxes for service delivery than to waste it on the changing of street names and the removal of monuments.