Cultural Affairs and Sport
- What plans does her Department have in place to contribute to the further enrichment of our cultural heritage during Heritage Month;
- whether her Department has plans to recognise the historical sites of the Khoisan people, such as the Black River site in Athlone; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
- The Department, through its entities and affiliated museums, normally hosts a number of community related heritage commemorations during the month of September. However, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the department has had to comply with the regulations that were promulgated in order to manage the spread of the virus. Despite these challenges the affiliated museums will host limited commemorative events as part of heritage month activities. These events will adhere with strict protocols as outlined in the Regulations that were promulgated in terms of the Disaster Management Act, No. 57 of 2002.
Museum Name | Nature of the event | Date |
Simon’s Town Museum | Online heritage commemoration | 24 September 2020 |
Wheat Industry Museum | Online oral history project | 21 September 2020 |
Hout Bay Museum | Exhibition opening | 21 September 2020 |
Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum | Heritage Day Conversation / seminar | 24 September 2020 |
Elands Bay Museum | Webinar and online exhibition launch | 28 September 2020 |
George Museum | Online exhibition launch | 30 September 2020 |
- Yes the department has plans to recognise the historical sites of the Khoisan people. On 1 March 1510 a skirmish ensued between Francisco de Almeida and Khoekhoe on the banks of what it today known as the Black and Liesbeek rivers. The skirmish resulted to the death of Francisco de Almeida and all his 49 crew members of Portuguese origin. This battle is regarded as the first war of resistance in South Africa. The Department nominated this site to be part of the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route in South Africa.
The Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route is a national project spearheaded by the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to establish a heritage route commemorating sites associated with the resistance and liberation heritage of South Africa. It is linked to the ‘Roads to Independence: African Liberation Heritage Programme’ as adopted in 2005 at the 33rd General Conference of UNESCO. In 2015 the national cabinet endorsed the establishment of a route in South Africa, with each province required to nominate three sites.
In order to commemorate the battle of 1 March 1510, the Department has conceptualised The Tissen die Riviere: Commemorating the early legacies of resistance by the indigenous people in South Africa in order to address a critical gap in the history of the Western Cape. This project enables the Department to recognise the role of the indigenous people to resistance. The Department regards the Tussen die Riviere project as a crucial element of building a socially inclusive Western Cape. Furthermore, it views this project as a catalyst to build the relationships between different stakeholders that have interests in the history and heritage of the indigenous people of the Western Cape. Currently, the Department is initiating a feasibility study in order to establish how this heritage will be commemorated.
