Carl Niehaus’ outrage over old military insignia reveals a deeper issue—South Africa is losing its collective memory, and few are stepping up to save it.
Carl Niehaus was up in arms on social media recently – some would say that is the only place he ever took up arms – about the fact that the tails of Mirage fighter jets at the air force’s museum at Swartkop still bear the colours of the apartheid era military.
Well, yes, comrade. Those aircraft were taken out of service prior to 1994 and a museum always seeks to preserve history as accurately as possible.
Given the uninformed reaction of people like Niehaus, you’d have to think Tony da Cruz of Springs is a brave man, collecting military and mining artefacts and memorabilia for a museum he has set up in the town.
Da Cruz is spot-on, however, when he says that, as a country, we are in danger of losing our collective memory of our past… whether that history is good or bad.
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The Mine & Military Museum is not the only project Da Cruz is running – he has also digitised more than 100 years of Springs council records.
In reality, it shouldn’t be his job, but let’s face facts: no-one else, especially in government, cares.
We salute him for his efforts. This is what genuine civic mindedness and patriotism are about.
