The statue symbolising the 1985 Duncan Village massacre was stolen on Wednesday night.
The artwork, situated near Kusile Comprehensive School, was unveiled by former president Thabo Mbeki in 2008. It was later vandalised and its spear was stolen.
The statue had initially triggered an uproar, with residents claiming it appeared to represent a Zulu warrior, possibly even Shaka Zulu, by depicting a warrior carrying a spear and a shield.
Duncan Village community leader Tembisa Beula said this week’s theft had caught residents by surprise.
Beula emphasised that the incident had nothing to do with the community’s dissatisfaction with the statue.
“We suspect scrap metal thieves are behind the vandalism of the statue,” she said.
“It definitely has nothing to do with the uproar.”
Beula said many residents wanted a statue depicting a woman with a stone in her hand and carrying a baby on her back to be erected in the area.
This would symbolise the young people who had used stones to defend themselves and a baby that was killed by teargas fired by police during clashes between youths and the apartheid security forces.
Young people had taken a stand against the previous regime and several schools in the area had been torched, along with houses belonging to police officers and teachers.
The youths who had resolved to make the country ungovernable by intensifying the liberation struggle had “never used a spear and shield”, Beula said.
“Several attempts to get the government to install a statue residents want had not been successful despite promises.”
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Bongani Fuzile failed to respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
It was unclear whether the metro had reported a criminal complaint to the police.
Various heritage sites across the Buffalo City Metro have been under siege from vandals.
It was previously reported that Steve Biko’s statue at the East London City Hall had been defaced.
A statue of Desmond Tutu at the same venue has been vandalised several times.
The Multicultural Man artwork, with arms outstretched, stands alone on the Esplanade after its flock of bronze doves was stolen during a bout of load-shedding in East London in 2022.
Donated by Italy’s Nereto municipality, the statue was unveiled in 2006 at the Heroes Park Garden of Remembrance and has often been targeted by scrap metal collectors.
City authorities resorted to barricading historical landmarks and tourist attractions in a labyrinth of “clear view” fencing, sparking criticism that they were “imprisoning” important heritage sites.
Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya previously said there were arguments “on both sides on the issue, for and against fencing”.
“Fencing isn’t our first choice, but we cannot fold our arms as important landmarks are being stripped. Nor can we afford to put security guards at every municipal asset.
“We have to strike a balance and if there are organised access requests they will be accommodated in the same way that walk-ins will be allowed.
“The stripping of our assets takes place at night and in the wee hours, when we are unable to patrol, so there shouldn’t be challenges to having the places open in broad daylight for public enjoyment.”
Daily Dispatch
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