Sculpture honouring Fugard vandalised

A LITTLE known sculpture in St George’s Park honouring Port Elizabeth born, anti-apartheid playwright, Athol Fugard, has fallen prey to vandals.

St George’s Park horticulturist Asanda Sakawuli found the sculpture by Mark Wilby of Grahamstown lying on the ground on Tuesday morning.

It has now been taken away and placed in a secure environment.

To mark its 100th year of publication in 2006, the Sunday Times embarked on a project to erect a trail of 100 memorials across South Africa to commemorate some of the extraordinary people and occasions which make up our history.

The sculpture depicts an 80x80cm stainless steel kite, folded and constructed as though it were made of paper, entangled in a green, 4.5m high, cast-iron telegraph pole.

The kite’s 60cm-long tail, also stainless steel, has been wrapped around the pole as though caught by mistake.

The sculpture was based on a 1950 incident when Athol Fugard insulted his older friend Sam Semela – who worked as a waiter in his mother’s (Elizabeth) tearoom at the St George’s Park swimming bath – by spitting at him.

For 30 years Fugard harboured the shame of the incident until he wrote the play, Master Harold … and the Boys, which premiered in the US in 1982 featuring John Kani and Winston Ntshona.

His friendship with the two actors resulted in the production of the plays Sizwe Bansi is Dead and The Island.

After being told about the vandalism Wilby said “Given the mystery of what caused this, and the sensitivities about public sculpture, I’d prefer not to jump to immediate conclusions. I do hope it’s not vandalism or attempted theft”.

The artist’s brief was “to think heavy metal, concrete or stone”.

“The Sunday Times, as sponsors, were very particular about the durability of this series of heritage sculptures.

“I was pleased to be able to produce a work with a very light footprint and to offer as little temptation for interference as possible,” he said.

Wilby sourced an old, solid castiron pole supporting the sculpture from a farmer friend in the Karoo.

The pole was cast with the initials GPO MS and was possibly produced by Iscor after it was founded in 1928.

“That is a genuine cast-iron telephone pole – snapped across possibly its strongest part!”

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality arts and culture executive director Noxolo Nqwazi said she was aware of the vandalism.

Michael Barry, Eastern Cape project manager for the Sunday Times Heritage Project, said the kite had specially been placed in a high position to avoid vandalism.

“This is pure vandalism,” he said. “I don’t think this has anything to do with the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ movement.

“It’s the third project that has now been vandalised. It’s good news the Department of Arts and Culture has accepted responsibility to have it repaired,” he said.

The memorial plate, on a plinth alongside the sculpture, was not damaged or removed.