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16 August 2018

Public consultation on MT Steyn statue begins with exhibition

8 July 2018

Introduction

In line with the UFS Strategic Plan 2018-2022 and the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP), the University of the

Free State (UFS) strives to distinguish itself as an institution that will pursue the delivery of excellent quality graduates and knowledge of the region, the continent, and the globe through academic excellence, diversity, inclusivity, and through innovative and transformative thought. The ITP shows the commitment of the UFS to widen the scope and radically accelerate transformation at the university.

One of the work streams of the ITP is concerned with Names, Symbols, and Spaces. Topical at the moment is the review of the MT Steyn statue, which is situated in front of the Main Building on the Bloemfontein Campus. A public exhibition during the Vrystaat Arts Festival ensured that the review process and the statue itself remains the topic of informed intellectual conversations during the time allotted for public consultation regarding this statue.

 

What is the university doing?

Public exhibition to keep the MT Steyn statue topical
To contribute to the special task team’s purpose of keeping the statue topical while its current position is under review, and to demonstrate the start of the public participation process, an exhibition consisting of a reflective triangular column has been erected in front of the statue during June/July 2018 that will effectively edit the statue out of its power position if viewed from the east along the main axis from the City of Bloemfontein. Other components are a suggestion box in which comments about the position of the statue can be deposited, and a group of encircling concrete benches.

To elevate engagement and solicit comments from the university community, visitors to the campus, and other interested parties, questions appear on the smooth boards of the reflective column, each linked to its own unique QR Code with audio-format questions (see related questions below).
Send your email responses to news@ufs.ac.za.

 

Why are we doing this?

Read more about the reasons the UFS is undertaking this step in the abridged Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA).

What is a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA)?
A Heritage Impact Assessment is a study to determine the impact of a proposed development on the cultural-heritage value of a property and to recommend an overall approach to the conservation of the heritage resource. In other words, the main aim is to promote heritage conservation—a meticulous process comprising prescribed steps.
The HIA of the MT Steyn statue included the following:
  • Surveying, identifying, and independently analysing the heritage issues relating to the statue in its immediate and broader physical context.
  • Assessing the significance of the MT Steyn statue as a cultural resource as set out in Section 6(2) or prescribed under Section 7 of the NHRA (National Heritage Resources Act).
  • Assessing the impact on the heritage resource based on the four possible modes of intervention at the statue, namely: avoidance, removal, relocation or re-interpretation, or some combination thereof.
  • Assessing the sustainable heritage significance and social benefits of the proposed interventions.
What is the significance of the site where the MT Steyn statue is situated?
The MT Steyn statue is situated in front of the Main Building on the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS. The building was completed in 1909 and is a registered provincial heritage site.

The statue forms part of the ‘Presidentsplein’ that was dedicated/completed in 1984. However, the name chosen to commemorate both Presidents MT Steyn and CR Swart (removed after the student protests during February 2016) never took hold, and the open space is known as the ‘Rooiplein’ or ‘Red Square’.

 

Why is an HIA needed for the President Steyn statue?

Besides being situated on a registered provincial heritage site, the statue can be considered as public art and a monument celebrating the life and work of MT Steyn – it is also one of the finest sculptures produced by Anton van Wouw. 

However, over time, statues can lose their initial meaning and can become associated with cultural and political issues. In the case of Steyn, many current students associate him with negative concepts such as colonialism, institutionalised racism, and white supremacy, among others. Therefore, we should consider a suitable conservation plan with strategies to either retain, remove, relocate, or re-interpret the statue and assess the heritage impact associated with each of these intervention options. Both the MT Steyn statue and the site where it is situated are bound by certain heritage considerations.

 Description: Layout Diagram of All Elements of Ensemble

A floor-plan of the public participation
exhibition around the statue.

 

History of MT Steyn

Read more about who MT Steyn was here: http://bit.ly/WhoWasMTSteyn

 

History of the statue

Learn more about why the statue was erected by reading this snippet from the HIA: http://bit.ly/MTSteynStatueHist

 

 Description: Statue Tags: Statue

 

 


Description: Main building with statue Tags: Main building with statue 
Artist's rendition of the Reflective Column in place

More articles:
 
Questions
To elevate engagement and solicit comments from the university community, visitors to the campus, and other interested parties, the following questions appear on the smooth boards of the reflective column, each linked to its own unique QR Code with audio-format questions (see questions below).
Send your email responses to news@ufs.ac.za.		 

 

 

Who was President Marthinus Theunis Steyn?


Why is the statue standing here?

 

How is the statue connected to the UFS?

 

Is this statue still relevant in the current socio-political context?

 

What is the challenge of the statue's current position, particularly its prominence in the transforming socio-political milieu?

 

Should the statue stay where it is, and if not, what alternative space will serve the MT Steyn statue's heritage narrative best?

 

What was the role of MT Steyn in the South African War?

Why does your opinion matter?

How does participating in this consultation make you feel?

 

 

 


News Archive

SRC elections: A first for UFS main campus
2005-08-14

Students on the main campus of the of the University of the Free State (UFS) will this week for the first time vote for the Student Representative Council (SRC) using two voting systems: proportional representation (PR) and first-past-the-post. 

According to the Vice-Rector, Student Affairs, Dr Ezekiel Moraka, this year’s elections are a milestone for the UFS as it will be the first time that the main campus SRC will be elected according to the amended SRC constitution, which was approved by the UFS Council in June 2005.

“It is also a major breakthrough for student governance and transformation of the UFS main campus and constitutes a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of all students at the UFS main campus in the governance of the university,” said Dr Moraka.

The amended constitution of the main campus SRC determines that nine of the 18 SRC members must be elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an individual, first-past-the-post election.
 
According to Dr Moraka, the introduction of the proportional representation system follows earlier calls by some student formations, notably Sasco and the ANC Youth League, for such a system to be introduced at the UFS main campus in Bloemfontein.

The new main campus SRC constitution is the result of consensus reached during a lengthy negotiation process involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League, the ACDP, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, as well as the democratically elected SRC members of the main campus.

“Independent persons such as Mr Jack Klaas and Mr Kobus van Loggerenberg, a former SRC President, facilitated the negotiation process,” said Dr Moraka.

Students on the main campus in Bloemfontein will vote for a new SRC on Monday 15 August 2005.

SRC elections will also take place on the other two campuses of the UFS, which have their own SRC structures.

Students on the UFS-Vista campus in Bloemfontein will vote for a new SRC on Monday 15 August 2005 and Tuesday 16 August 2005.

At the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS, students will vote for a new SRC on Friday 26 August 2005.

The election processes on all three campuses will be closely monitored by independent electoral bodies. 

After the three campuses have elected their respective SRCs a central SRC will be constituted.  The central SRC will have 12 members made up of delegates of the three campus SRCs, including the presidents of these three SRCs. The main campus will have five representatives, the Qwaqwa campus will have four representatives and the Vista campus will have three representatives.

Main campus voting schedule:
Monday 15 August 2005 from 07:00-21:00.  Ten voting stations will be set up across the campus.  The results will be announced on Tuesday 16 August 2005.

Vista campus voting schedule:
Monday 15 August 2005 and Tuesday 16 August 2005 from 09:00-18:00 in the administration building.  The results will be announced on Wednesday 17 August 2005.
 
Qwaqwa campus voting schedule:
Friday 26 August 2005 from 09:00-18:00 in the Senate Hall.  If there is no objection to the final results, it will be announced on the same day.


Media release

Issued by:  Lacea Loader
   Media Representative
   Tel:  (051) 401-2584
   Cell:  083 645 2454
   E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

14 August 2005
 

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