South Africa has had to deal with colonization and subjugation under several European forces for many hundreds of years. Understandably, this has left its mark on the countries history, the aftermath of which is still being dealt with today. Perhaps one of the most controversial figures in the more recent history of the country is Cecil Rhodes, an old prime minister of the country and the founder of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia).
While one cannot deny that Rhodes has helped the city develop, the wealth that was gained was predominantly went to the white settlers and not the indigenous peoples. His views on race have often been debated, as he was known to support the rights of indigenous Africans to vote, but is also called one of the architects of apartheid and a white supremacist.
Some of these debates have turned into protests, especially against statues and memorials of Rhodes. Perhaps the most famous one being the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ movement, which originated at Cape Town university, and aimed to remove the statue on the campus. This protest was successful, and in 2015 the statue was removed. The plinth has remained, and was covered up in wood until a suitable replacement statue is found, or it is removed.
The plinth can still be found today.