A Dream Sparked Transformation: The Iconic Image of a Protest Movement

In Snap, we explore the impact of a single photograph, sharing stories about the creation of both modern and historical images.

Nine years ago, Sethembile Msezane took a powerful stance on a plinth, dressed in a black body suit and stiletto heels, with wooden, velvet, and hair wings on her arms. In the background, a statue of a man is being lifted in the air. This iconic photograph, titled "Chapungu — The Day Rhodes Fell," captures the essence of the #RhodesMustFall movement, which ultimately resulted in the removal of Cecil Rhodes' statue at the University of Cape Town.

Msezane was studying for a Master’s degree in Fine Arts at the university during the protests. Students were calling for the Briton’s statue to be taken down, claiming his legacy was tainted with racism.

Speaking to CNN from Cape Town, Msezane expressed her disbelief at the events that unfolded on that day. Her performance and the resulting image, now a symbol of the historic day, were inspired by a recurring dream that haunted her during the beginning of the protest movement.

Artist Sethembile Msezane on a plinth in front of the statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes. Its removal was the culmination of a month of protests by students.

Artist Sethembile Msezane on a plinth in front of the statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes. Its removal was the culmination of a month of protests by students.

Charlie Shoemaker/Getty Images

The dreams centred around “Chapungu,” a sacred Zimbabwean bateleur eagle who Msezane embodied atop the plinth with her wings.

Eight green-gray soapstone statues of birds, significant to the people of Zimbabwe, were created in the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, as the site deteriorated, six of these statues were stolen. One statue, known as Chapungu, was gifted to Cecil Rhodes in the 1800s and remains at his former estate in Cape Town, despite efforts to return it. Msezane shared that there have been requests for the statue's return to Zimbabwe due to a belief that its presence is linked to social unrest in the country.

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Msezane explains that Chapungu, representing people's hopes and aspirations in Zimbabwean society, worked in harmony with her consciousness when Rhodes fell. "She used my body as a vessel, and I answered the call."

Even after the statue of Rhodes was brought down, Msezane remained on her pedestal for an additional 20-30 minutes. "It was crucial for Chapungu to be visible, so that we can start to see ourselves in her - not just in a history of oppression. We also have a heritage of abundance and ancestral wisdom."

The image is currently being showcased in London as part of the exhibition "Acts of Resistance: Photography, Feminisms and the Art of Protest" by the South London Gallery and V&A Parasol Foundation. This exhibition explores female-led resistance movements globally, from the challenges of illegal abortion in Chile, Poland, and the United States, to women-led protests in Iran and Bangladesh.

"Would I be pushed over?"

Creating the artwork was exhausting for Msezane. The Chapungu piece required her to stand on the plinth in high heels on a hot day for almost four hours. She described it as "pretty strenuous," having to hold the wings on her arms up for two minutes before taking a 10-minute break and starting again.

At the start, she felt scared. Msezane shared that when creating a piece like that, you feel quite vulnerable.

The statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes was removed from South Africa's Cape Town University on April 9, 2015.

The statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes was removed from South Africa's Cape Town University on April 9, 2015.

"I felt scared thinking about what would happen if the police showed up and took me away during this significant historical event. I worried about what would happen to me if I was taken away while wearing just a leotard and stilettos. Would I be treated roughly? Could I get hurt or even worse, die?"

After stepping off the plinth, she was shaking. Her limbs felt tired, her feet were painful, and her vision was blurred. "All I wanted were my clothes," she says. "I just wanted to go home and take a bath."

Despite the international attention the Chapungu work received, Msezane continued with her life without giving it much thought.

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Picture 025

Jack Latham/Courtesy Here Press

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"I was still in the midst of everything that was going on," she recalled, referring to the Rhodes movement and the eventual start of the Fees Must Fall campaign. Despite gaining recognition for her work, she found herself facing scrutiny for her connection to the movement.

I didn't really care that my work was being mentioned everywhere. It felt insignificant to me because I was still facing oppression despite having a voice.

Sometimes, she worries that people are more focused on Rhodes instead of seeing Chapungu as a symbol of hope for many.

Msezane's work has inspired her to consider how she can further support women globally. She has shifted away from performing physically demanding and emotionally taxing works like Chapungu. Instead, she now uses her art to create change by donating proceeds from sales to charitable causes. For example, she has supported the Panzi Hospital in Kinshasa, which offers healthcare to over 80,000 women and girls who have survived conflict-related sexual violence.

Art was a calling.

From a young age, Msezane was a creative at heart — expressing herself through poems, drawings, and dress, but she did not expect to become an ****artist.

Sethembile Msezane has performed other performance pieces like this titled "So Long a Letter," at the African Renaissance Monument in Senegal in 2016.

Sethembile Msezane has performed other performance pieces like this titled "So Long a Letter," at the African Renaissance Monument in Senegal in 2016.

Sethembile Msezane

She didn't believe that pursuing a career as an ****artist was a realistic option for her. Despite her doubts, she was encouraged by her aunt to pursue a degree in fine arts at the University of Cape Town. However, she found the experience to be challenging, describing it as "very frustrating" because of the Eurocentric focus of the curriculum.

During her studies, she struggled with the idea that Africans were often portrayed as not being creators of their own art, but rather as anonymous and unrecognized contributors.

As Msezane admired Cape Town’s scenery and buildings, she started pondering about the representation of black women's histories in the city. Feeling that their stories were lacking, Msezane shared with CNN her thoughts on the matter.

This realization sparked the beginning of her Public Holidays performance art series. On her days off from work as an arts administrator, Msezane would organize and perform in the city.

"It became a task for me to re-insert some of the histories I was thinking about on political public holidays, in relation to colonial, male, European statues,” she said. She performed as Lady Liberty on Freedom Day, Rosie the Riveter on Worker’s Day. Not long after, Msezane left her day job and started practicing full-time as an ****artist. “It’s kind of how life panned out… it was a calling.”

Now, suspended from a ceiling in a south London gallery, Msezane’s image greets visitors and commands their immediate attention. “I want for them to walk in with a sense of wonder and to let that wonder take over their senses,” she said. “When they view the image, let them go where they need to.”

Editor's P/S:

The photograph "Chapungu — The Day Rhodes Fell" by Sethembile Msezane is a powerful and moving depiction of the #RhodesMustFall movement. The image captures the essence of the protest movement, which ultimately resulted in the removal of Cecil Rhodes' statue at the University of Cape Town. Msezane's performance and the resulting image have become a symbol of the historic day and have inspired people around the world.

Msezane's work is not only a powerful statement about the removal of Rhodes' statue but also a celebration of African history and culture. The image of Chapungu, a sacred Zimbabwean bateleur eagle, represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe. Msezane's performance is a reminder that the history of Africa is not just a history of oppression but also a history of abundance and ancestral wisdom.