News24.com | PICS | DA protests over plan to remove Afrikaans from Taal Monument's name

• The DA is protesting over plans to remove the word Afrikaans from the Taal Monument's name.
• More than 9 000 supporters have signed a petition to stop the name change.
• The Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument (ATM) said its council met in Paarl after reports surfaced of a suggested name change for the institution.

The DA took to the streets of Paarl in the Western Cape early Saturday morning to protest the decision to remove the word Afrikaans from the Taal Monument's name.

Hundreds of members clad in DA colours participated in the march to highlight their dismay at a proposed name change for the Taal Monument in Paarl, which was built in 1975 to honour the Afrikaans language.

READ | DA suspends Western Cape legislature speaker from all party activities pending probe

In a statement, the Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument (ATM) said that its council met in Paarl over the past two days for the first time after reports surfaced of a suggested name change for the institution.

"We engaged with the national Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture on this issue as well as on the proposed amalgamation process envisaged by the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage of 2018," said the organisation.

The meeting was conducted in a spirit of mutual respect and with a positive attitude, it added.

"No decisions were taken and there will be further liaisons with the department. The ATM takes note of the public sentiments expressed over the past week," the statement read.

Addressing protesters during the party's #WysjousTaal protest concert, Western Cape DA leader Tertuis Simmers said the Afrikaans language had been "born in Africa". He said changing the name would seek to "change so much more of people and the language itself".

"We love all languages, and in this case, we love Afrikaans as well because it's a language that is proudly South African," said Simmers.

The DA vowed to take over and protect the Afrikaanse Taalmonument if Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa did not respect it.

The party called on Mthethwa to hand over management of the Afrikaanse Taalmonument to the DA-controlled Western Cape rather than changing its name.

"We reject the ANC's proposal with the contempt it deserves, because it will strip the Monument of all significance," it said, adding that the party would not rest until "we have repelled this insane ANC plan".

Drakenstein Mayor Conrad Poole said all languages in the country must be "protected".

"We will do everything to protect and keep the languages we have in the country. We are appealing to members of the community to stand together and make sure there is no interference from the ANC to destroy what we've built," said Poole.

The DA has since put out a petition to keep the Afrikaanse Taalmonument in place. So far, more than 9 000 signatures have been added.

A social media post by William Sezoe urging Mthethwa to reconsider his decision to change the name, went viral this week.

He has called on the minister to accept his offer to personally giving him a tour of the Taal Monument.

"Dear @NathiMthethwaSA and @SportArtsCultur my offer still stands. I'd like to give you a tour, so that you can see the beautiful, multicultural, multilingual and diverse atmosphere at the @taalmonument," he tweeted.

Sezoe also took part in Saturday's protest action and urged the minister to leave the Taal Monument alone.

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