JOHANNESBURG - Kimberley residents were left shocked at the defacement of the Cecil John Rhodes statue this week.
But, it turned out to be a piece of performance art.
The statue of Rhodes on a horse was covered in red with a white cloth over his face.
It was a live performance by the Reclaiming Space group.
The red is actually clay that is easy to remove.
The group says it wanted to ignite conversation about the reality of colonialism.
And, it seems it's achieved its objective.
The art has sparked debate, not only about colonialism but also about the relevance of statues to colonial rulers.