NEWS RELEASE                                                                                23 September 2003

CITY OF CAPE TOWN CALLS FOR INPUT ON HERITAGE TOURISM IN COMMUNITIES                                                                                                           

 On 24 September every year, on Heritage Day, all of us, no matter our backgrounds, are called upon to celebrate who we are as South Africans. In celebrating ourselves - our cultures, values, traditions, beliefs, customs, artistic achievements, musical expressions, languages and so on - we not only affirm our humanity and diverse cultures, but also acknowledge our heritage – that which has been handed down to us by previous generations, by our parents and ancestors, and which we consider worthy enough to pass on to others in the future.    

Heritage, then, is very much about passing the baton in regard to what it is that’s important for our children and children’s children to know, appreciate and value about the lives we, and those before us, have lived. And what we want them to know about spans a vast range which includes just about everything from sites that tell of our distant past, like the burial grounds of our ancestors, to the way we express ourselves through speech, art, music and sport; from the symbols, objects (photographs, documents, films and videos, books, art and craft objects and so on) and dwellings that make for our identity to the wonder of our landscapes and natural features like Table Mountain; from plant, animal and bird species on the endangered list to the anti-apartheid struggle for liberation.

 What counts as heritage, then, is anything - although more often than not a place or an object - that a community or nation holds dear about its past because it’s shaped the meaning and making of our lives and the way we understand ourselves. But a heritage resource doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical thing as long as it tells us about who we are as a community or nation and the road we’ve travelled, and has value for others down the line. And this is so because what we need to conserve, or safeguard, for others in the future is also to be found in what we can’t touch. Consider, for example the way knowledge, beliefs and customs are passed on from generation to generation in the African way - through stories, riddles and praise poems, that is to say, orally rather than through a process of recording as in a book. 

 Although a variety of objects and places, as well as intangible aspects of our lives such as stories and praise poems, may be considered as heritage resources, not everything, of course, is declared by law as such as the item has to be highly regarded by, or have special value or significance for, a community, province or nation. In particular, the resource has to be a non-renewable, or irreplaceable, example which conveys significant information about: 

• The patterns of South Africa’s history such as migrant labour, the anti-apartheid struggle etc.

• The social, cultural, aesthetic or spiritual life of communities or particular cultural groups

• Places which have a special association with the life or work of a person, group, or organisation of importance in the history of South Africa

• The history of slavery in South Africa

• South Africa’s natural environment

• South Africa’s artistic and technological achievements

• Uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of nature and culture

• The principle characteristics of particular kinds of objects, places (Ndebele and Victorian dwellings are examples) or species (e.g. fynbos)

All of what is declared by law to be significant for a community, province or the nation as a whole is collectively known as the “national estate” and may be considered as assets that belong to all of us. And that means that while the state has a legal responsibility to protect these assets, all of us should play the role of guardians of what is ours.

 Besides this, what everyone should know as well, is that anyone can motivate for a place, object, or other resource with special qualities to be declared a heritage resource of significance for either the province (or region) or nation. If you have any ideas about new heritage resources, contact the South Africa Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), the agency responsible for the conservation, development and management of heritage resources, on 021 462-4502. Let’s get to it – let’s make heritage speak! 

 Issued by                    Rosemary Hare, Mitchell, Wicomb Public Relations cc

                                    P O Box 12521

                                    MILL STREET

                                    8010

On behalf of               Cape Town Tourism

                                    PO Box 1403

Cape Town

8000

For further information, please contact Debbie Bergsman at Rosemary Hare, Mitchell, Wicomb Public Relations on (021) 465-1166 or 082 459 6227.