The statue has drawn controversy and made national headlines for several years following students’ protest action calling for its removal. Students at the university have in the past few months express concerns over this statue stating that it is a painful reminder of apartheid sins and that it was intolerable that the university still has it.

OFM News earlier this year reported on a gathering addressed by the university’s Student Representative Council (SRC) president, Asive Dlanjwa, who called for the immediate removal of the statue. Dlanjwa strongly expressed students’ views against the Steyn statue saying the preservation thereof is the preservation of inequality, the apartheid culture and a violation of human dignity.

Steyn’s descendants remain members of the Bloemfontein society with many of them among the university’s alumni.

He was the sixth and last president of the independent Orange Free State from 1896 to 1902.

The university has come under fire for this statue, together with the Charles Robberts (CR) Swart statue, several times. The issue was prominently highlighted during the fees must fall protests when students attempted to vandalise the statues.

The university’s spokesperson, Lacea Loader, is yet to respond to OFM News’ set of questions.

OFM News