Rhodes’ Bust Bust

A statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes has been decapitated in Cape Town in South Africa. The bronze bust in a city park had its head removed with an angle grinder on Sunday night or Monday morning, South African National Parks said. It is the latest monument associated with imperialism or slavery to be targeted since African American George Floyd was killed in US police custody. His death triggered huge anti-racism demonstrations around the world. Rhodes, a white supremacist, led the British colonisation of parts of southern Africa during the 19th Century and made a fortune from mining. Last month, a college at Oxford University said it would take down a statue of Rhodes after years of pressure by campaigners, who argued it was a symbol of imperialism and racism. The Rhodes Memorial in Cape Town was built in 1912 on the slopes of Table Mountain and features eight lion statues alongside steps leading up to a granite building where the bust is. South African National Parks said it had reported the damage to police.

SOURCE: BBC