Sowetan

It’s time to embrace stories of the past three decades

Thirty years into democracy, the issues related to heritage resources in public spaces continue to pose a challenge in defining our collective cultural identity and building a nation united in diversity.

It may be time to move forward from the heritage narrative shaped by the colonial and apartheid eras to embrace the stories of the past three decades of democracy.

First, it is important to review the concept of heritage since the Venice Charter was adopted in 1964. There have been numerous conservati­on guidelines in the form of charters, recommenda­tions and resolution­s introduced and adopted by internatio­nal heritage bodies such as Unesco and the Internatio­nal Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos), a profession­al associatio­n that works for the conservati­on and protection of cultural heritage places around the world.

The National Monument Act of 1969 was the first legislatio­n introduced after adopting the Venice Charter. However, this does not diminish the impact of memorialis­ation practices under the Natural and Historical Monument Relics and Antiques Act of 1923. What it did was solidify biased documentat­ion of history and perpetuate an oppressive and exclusive national heritage narrative.

The dominant narrative categories across SA are made up of cultural, historical, architectu­ral and material legacies left behind by colonial and apartheid powers in regions and territorie­s they controlled. This is essentiall­y because of the colonial perception that heritage was physical, effectivel­y tangible.

This year marks 30 years since the dawn of democracy. The adoption of the constituti­on in 1996 was one of the turning points in the history of the struggle for democracy. Its preamble advances a belief that SA belongs to all who live in it. In addition, it heals the division of the past and establishe­s a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamenta­l rights.

To advance these ideals, the president in 1999 approved the Heritage Resources Act, which aims to promote good management of the national estate and to enable and encourage communitie­s to nurture and conserve it.

Our heritage is unique and precious, and cannot be renewed. It helps us to define our cultural identity and thus lies at the heart of our spiritual well-being, and has the power to build our nation.

The advanced view is that the statues, place names and other forms of symbolism in public spaces need to be reviewed in line with the values and spirit of a nonracial, democratic and inclusive SA.

The conversati­on on this matter is complicate­d, as shown by the events of 2015 (#FeesMustFa­ll and StatuesMus­tFall). and is likely to continue.

Despite the challenges, we have made progress and achieved a lot. It’s not easy to traverse the layered complexity inherent in matters of heritage and public memory, but it provides an excellent space for critical engagement and dialogues.

As we pursue the goal of acknowledg­ing and honouring stories that are often overlooked, instead of choosing to erase them, we have the opportunit­y to present an alternate viewpoint, fill in the gaps, and make correction­s.