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President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that South Africa comes from a history of prejudice and exclusion, and said that since democracy in 1994, the country has worked to transform its heritage landscape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa during his speech on COVID-19 measures on September 16, 2020. Image: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has supported an ongoing campaign to remove statues that glorify the apartheid past.
In his virtual speech marking Heritage Day on Thursday, Rampahosa said that “monuments that glorify our divisive past must be repositioned and relocated.”
“This has generated controversy, some say that we are trying to erase our history. Building a truly non-racial society means being sensitive to the experiences lived by all the people of this country. We do not apologize for this because our goal is to build a united NATION. . “
The president acknowledged that South Africa comes from a history of prejudice and exclusion, and said that since democracy in 1994, the country has worked to transform its heritage landscape.
He said that the naming and renaming of towns and cities was part of this, as well as the construction of new statues and monuments.
A campaign to remove statues glorifying historical apartheid figures is gaining momentum in the country, supported mainly by blacks, but there is some opposition from white citizens.
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