Apartheid bust smashed

South Africans thought the reminders of apartheid would disappear

A South African monument put up during the apartheid era has been smashed in Pretoria on the 40th anniversary of the country becoming a republic.

The monument was one of our most prominent landmarks

Pretoria's mayor

The bust of JG Strijdom, prime minister in the 1950s, fell into a crater, which opened up as the roof of an underground car park collapsed.

There were initial suggestions that the bust had been deliberately targeted but the South African newsagency is quoting experts who have put the damage down to structural problems.

After an investigaition experts said that the dome of the Strijdom monument fell down causing the roof of the car park to cave in.

Strijdom's bust was said to have broken in two when it fell into the hole.

Historical day

Republic Day, 31 May, used to be a public holiday in South Africa, marking the day in 1961 when the country broke with the Commonwealth, which was becoming increasingly critical of apartheid policies.

The holiday was replaced with Freedom Day in 1994 to mark the country's first democratic elections.

There was some expectation at that time that many of the apartheid monuments would be removed, but this did not happen.

Some argued that images such as the Strijdom bust would help remind people of the country's past.

Pretoria's mayor, Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, was sad to hear about the destruction of the bust.

"The monument was one of our most prominent landmarks," he said, "and a work of art, it is always a sad day when an irreplaceable artwork is lost."

Police say that only two people were injured in the incident.