Heritage Month in Kimberley concluded with the news that the Diggers Memorial Fountain was, yet again, vandalised.
This artwork was described as “the most striking feature of the Oppenheimer Garden” and “a stunning working fountain erected in honour of past miners of the Kimberley Mine”.
Concern for the upkeep of the fountain waned many years ago, and the diamond sieve that was held by the five life-size bronze statues of miners was stolen in October 2020. Even then, nothing was done to protect the fountain from future harm.
On social media platforms the comments ranged from “Today I believe there is a God…dealing with those symbols of colonialism” to “I don’t even know what this is about”.
A community activist replied, “…when they are done with steel, and have pushed businesses and jobs out of the city centre…when they are left with the option of violently robbing people of their belongings to get a fix…when they eventually come for you…would it still be God’s doing?”
There is little doubt that the vandalism and theft at memorials like this, as is also the case with the cenotaph in Kimberley, are largely caused by unemployment; by people who have lost hope and found happiness in quick drug and alcohol fixes.
Just take an early morning drive through the city to perceive the many homeless people sleeping on the streets. When will they (in some cases, forced by syndicates) go for the bronze statue of Frances Baard? Or for the 9 m high statue of former president Nelson Mandela on the Union Buildings grounds in Gauteng?
Statues are artwork. They depict our history, which cannot be changed. It communicates information, shapes lives, and makes a statement. We need it for aesthetic beauty in this cruel world, for crying out loud.
For those who do not “know what this is all about”, please do some research online and enrich your life.
