The statue of ANC activist Gert Sibande in central Bethal (South Africa) has had a paint job done on it (but not in a good way).Nope, vandals went and painted him white. Mission accomplished,they got the reaction they were looking for. Mpumalanga premier Thabang Makwetla angrily declared “I wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the vandalisation and defacing of the newly erected statue. These are acts of remnants of racism [and] white supremacy who must be isolated and defeated,”.Sibande was an African National Congress activist and a leader of the farm labourers who initiated the potato boycott 1958.

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Oh no, the statue of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founder, M. G. Ramachandran at Thothukudi has been damaged. AND before you all go running for you atlases, Thothukudi is a city and a Municipal corporation in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (whew). The broken statue was discovered by locals who immediately notified the authorities who blocked the road after tensions rose following the discovery. Why such tensions? Well M.G.Ramachandran was a famous actor and politician (ala Ronald Reagan) who after his successful acting/directing career became a vocal Tamil and Dravidian nationalist and prominent member of the DMK (Dravidian Progressive Federation). That was until he got shot in the neck by a fellow actor M.R. Radha. The bullet remained permanently lodged in his neck causing vocal damage. He later formed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party after a disagreement with DMK. The AIADMK then become their strongest opponent. When Ramachandran died in 1984 of kidney failure it started a full on riot in Tamil Nadu. Mass hysteria led to looting and rioting with some 100 people attempting suicide by fire (ouch!) and that was prior to his funeral. The funeral left 29 people dead and 47 police badly injured. It was reported over a million people followed his remains and 30 committed suicide. In some parts of Tamil Nadu he is still revered as a god.
So you can kinda guess the dude that did this is in really, really, big trouble. The locals are demanding the immediate arrest of the culprit and I am guessing the Thoothukudites won’t be giving him/she/them a slap on the wrist and some community service. From all reports there are two pieces broken off the statue.

Addition Info : It was alleged that in July, 2008, DMK workers and anti-social elements had vandalised the statues of late DMK founder Annadurai and AIADMK leader late M G Ramachandran at Karaikudi.

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