Elizabeth Salt Monument

Elizabeth Salt

Grocott’s spoke to Curator-emeritus of the Albany Museum, Fleur Way-Jones, and Rhodes History Professor, Prof. Julia Wells, about the recent defacement of the Elizabeth Salt monument in High Street. The monument is dedicated to settler women and portrays Elizabeth Salt carrying a keg of gunpowder through the ranks of amaXhosa warriors during the battle of Grahamstown. The story goes that during the battle of Grahamstown, when the English troops had run out of gunpowder, Elizabeth Salt carried a keg of gunpowder disguised as a baby to them while the amaXhosa warriors let her pass through their ranks unharmed because she was a woman. The recent defacement includes a trail of red spray-paint from the keg of gunpowder to the feet of the amaXhosa warriors.

Elizabeth Salt Monument Defaced

The Elizabeth Salt Monument in Grahamstown was defaced recently.

GRAHAMSTOWN HAS BEEN INVADED

Mysterious red-coated soldiers have been spotted all over Grahamstown patrolling and guarding the various historical monuments. It is yet unknown whether they are friendly or what their purpose is.

Are heritage sites under threat in Makana?

There is severe asymmetry in Makana’s memorials. Whereas there is no shortage of remembrance for the British settlers and soldiers who have died here, there is little public memory of the amaXhosa. The only new monument currently in the works has had its funding suspended, and there is no sign of it being restarted.

With over 70 heritage sites, Grahamstown offers its residents and tourists a unique gateway into the past. Sites such as the Egazini Memorial form an important part of Grahamstown’s history, yet for some cultural activists the significance of these sites decline.

Report by Campbell Easton and Siyavuya Makubalo
Rhodes School of Journalism & Media Studies