Add memorials, not remove older ones

[caption id="attachment_76594" align="alignright" width="256"] VANDALISED SITE: The Herald reader Chris Booysen sent in these pictures he took at the memorial commemorating the Khoi and San peoples in Graaff-Reinet. The picture above shows where the marble cladding has been vandalised and badly damaged. The fence surrounding the monument has also been removed -[/caption]

IT is a coincidence that The Herald on April 1 contained an article where Gert Steenkamp was asking for the statue of Queen Victoria to be replaced with one recognising David Stuurman (“Victoria must go, Khoi say”).

I had just arrived back from a trip which included a visit to Graaff-Reinet. While we were there we visited the monument erected to honour the San and Khoi people.

This memorial has been completely vandalised. The metal fence around it has been removed, and a large amount of the marble has been smashed and broken.

I have attached some pictures to demonstrate the condition of the memorial.

It is a pity Steenkamp does not put his efforts into protecting the existing memorials rather than into removing them.

You cannot change history, only add to it.

A far better and more inclusive proposal would be to add memorials, not to remove old ones.

Tourists visit our country and city to see these memorials. The more we have reflecting the diverse nature of our history, the more tourists we will attract. I am sure I do not need to explain the value of tourism.

-Chris Booysen, Walmer, Port Elizabeth