Rhodes Statue Protest

Sitting on Jammie Steps, one could not help feel but be drawn by the emotion of the crowd, and the issue of institutional racism being addressed. Kgotsi Chikane led the proceedings selecting five students at a time to step up to the microphone and share their respective views about the sewerage incident which occurred on Tuesday; and what subsequently should done about the statue of Cecil John Rhodes overlooking the greater Cape Town area.

Varied opinions were given surrounding the causal effect of Rhodes' legacy at UCT. Although the many perspectives raised were valuable there does appear to be a problem within UCT of talking at each other rather than to each other. It became apparent that the free space, provided to generate discussion, quickly turned into an arena to air frustrations. Grievances were spewed from students off all races with one student beginning his rant about with “I’m not racist but...”; surely a mark of being racism, or, at least, unnecessarily opting for a defensive position. What was evident from the get go was that no one had any viable solutions, with a few exceptions. Miskha Latief offered funding the removal of the statue ourselves if the university is not willing to pay for it; whilst the orchestrator of the sewage protest, Chumani Maxwele, demanded a date for the removal of the statue. The comments all held merit in providing immediate solutions, but, in all honesty, was like throwing glitter on an ugly painting.

The open air dialogue did create momentum to begin the transformation but it cannot stop there. Another approach to solve the problem of institutional racism is to re-evaluate the very historical foundation upon which UCT is formed which is evident within the curriculum and the pedagogy of the institution itself. The removal of the statue may offer a collective cathartic experience but it is only topical cure for the deep wounds inflicted by history. Let us hope, however, that if the statue were to be removed it could open up the possibilities that would lead to the change that we wish to see within our beloved institution.

Written by:

Carissa Cupido and Duncan Patrick

For more up-to-date photos of the #RhodesStatueProtest, check out or Instagram Feed: instagram.com/uctradio