Once again the bust of teenage activist Valiamma Munuswami Mudaliar in Rose Park has been destroyed.
The new bust was erected by the Valliama Social Justice Interim in March this year after the bust had been defaced and eventually stolen.
On Saturday, June 1, the bust was found to have been destroyed. Those at the scene alleged that the bust had been pulled down by a vehicle, as there were visible tyre marks next to the plinth.
Nadas Pillay, the former president of the Tamil Federation of Gauteng, who was responsible for the idea of the bust, told the Rising Sun that he believed that the incidents of defacement and destruction had been perpetrated by individuals who did not know who Valliama was.
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“This has to have been done by people who have no idea how much Valliama contributed to democracy in this country. She meant no harm to anyone. She represented peace and justice. It is unfair that she is not given the same respect as other struggle icons in this country,” said Mr Pillay.
He added that if community members felt offended by the bust, they were welcome to approach the organisation to discuss a solution.
“Right now the community is calling for the perpetrator to be brought to book. We have not received any complaints regarding the bust, therefore we don’t know who might want to commit such an act,” said Mr Pillay.
The executive director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Neeshan Balton, took to Twitter to condemn the destruction of the bust.
“This wanton act of destruction of our liberation heritage must be condemned by all,” said Mr Balton.
Every time the bust has been vandalised, the community of Lenasia has contributed to its replacement.
Valliama Mudaliar was a teenager in 1913 when she joined her mother and other women as they marched from what was then known as Natal to the Transvaal. At the time, it was against the law for her to cross the border.
The marches formed part of the Mahatma Gandhi passive resistance movement, a form of non-violent protest against the oppressive laws and policies in South Africa during the early 1900s.
Valliama was arrested and sentenced to three months in prison with hard labour when she was only 16 years old. It was reported that she died of fever, shortly after she was released from prison.
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