THE Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (Daso) has differed with its mother body, the Democratic Alliance (DA), on what should happen to the statue of Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
In a statement, Daso at UCT said that it fully supports the removal of the statue "as an essential and long overdue movement towards true transformation and redress".
"The ongoing presence of a controversial British colonialist at the forefront of Upper Campus cannot be tolerated any longer," the student association said.
Last week, the DA said that the statue should not be removed.
DA federal chairman Wilmot James, a former dean of humanities at UCT, said that former president Nelson Mandela — who has a joint foundation with Rhodes — did not support the tearing down of monuments.
"They must remain to remind us of when history takes a wrong turn, as we, as fallible human beings, will make wrong turns too," Mr James said.
He said UCT must incorporate Rhodes’s statue and memorial into an inclusive vision and project in pursuit of its mission, which as a university must be to pursue the truth "untrammelled by political correctness".
The so-called "Rhodes Must Fall" campaign, led by the UCT Student Representative Council (SRC), has entered its third week, with students pushing for the statue to be removed. Some students claimed they had received "hate mail" and threats for being part of the protests and have called on the university to investigate. A number of UCT students staged a sit-in at a university building at the weekend and on Monday.
The students said they would remain in the building this week and intensify their campaign, in a bid to get the university to remove the controversial statue. They have given management until Friday to set a date for its removal.
Adam Kleinschmidt, branch leader of Daso UCT, said that the protest action at UCT has changed the political and social landscape at the university.
"The challenge set to both students and the management structures of UCT is clear and cannot be understated ... In addition to this, Daso-UCT supports the discourse surrounding the concept of legitimate protest surrounding transformation and white privilege at UCT.
"For far too long, this issue has been swept under the carpet and left to small-scale discussion groups. By making the issue public and by making UCT aware of the issue, the leaders of this protest have made the first fundamental step towards deeper change at UCT," Mr Kleinschmidt said.
The South African Communist Party in the Western Cape said on Tuesday that it was proud of student action at UCT, in particular the campaign to achieve transformation at the institution.
UCT spokeswoman Gerda Kruger said: "The UCT SRC’s commitment and determination to make a difference is important. Our doors remain open (for further engagement) and we have urged the SRC to come to the table," Ms Kruger said.
She said close to 1,000 people have so far shared their views on the matter and on broader issues of transformation via e-mail. Engagements were scheduled to continue for the next few weeks.
On Wednesday, UCT staff and students will assemble in Jameson Hall to listen to views on the Rhodes statue and to express their thoughts.
Last week, UCT vice-chancellor Max Price said he would personally like to see the statue removed from its prominent position at the centre of the university’s campus, but not destroyed.
Rhodes was a British colonialist, businessman, mining mogul and politician. He has been referred to by some as the founding father of colonial oppression in SA. Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe — where he is buried — was named after him. So was Rhodes University in Grahamstown.
The protests at UCT have also led to fresh debate at Rhodes about changing the university’s name. The protests have also reportedly sparked calls in Zimbabwe for the removal of Rhodes’s remains.
According to New Zimbabwe.com, activists belonging to the ruling party Zanu (PF) said Rhodes’s "remains on Zimbabwean soil served no purpose other than being a place his white descendents frequented to adore his land-grabbing exploits".
"We strongly support what is happening in South Africa ... We cannot stand seeing whites coming from abroad every day to honour and conduct rituals before their ancestor who is buried on our own land," Zanu (PF) activist Zweli Malinga was quoted as saying.
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