Notice is hereby given that the annual general meeting of the Durbanville Heritage Society will take place on Wednesday 29 March 2023, starting promptly at 18:30. The venue is the hall of Dutch Reformed Church Stellenberg, Mountain View Drive. For more information email durbanvilleheritage@gmail.com.

The agenda of the meeting will be:

• Welcoming
• Summary of the committee’s work for the past year
• Financial report
• Election of the committee for the coming year
   

After the meeting, a talk will be given by Mr Paul Haupt, retired Head of History and formerly a Vice Principal of The Settlers High School.

The topic is “Embracing the diversity of local heritage.” Heritage ought to be refracted through a wide spectrum of lenses and not distorted to fit a narrow narrative representing a single, dominant perspective.

Summary of talk

With particular reference to the local heritage of the Durbanville/Tygerberg/Cape Town region, the diverse perspectives and lenses through which it can be refracted, will be the subject of reflection. Issues that will be touched on are: The Khoi and San people, the Settler farming communities and colonial authorities, Slaves etc.  Embracing previously ignored heritage does not necessitate “wiping the slate clean.”  The fixation with the concept of “decolonisation” as opposed to the broader view of “Africanisation”, in a perverse twist of logic, captures the narrative and places the emphasis on the very colonialism that is anathema to that branch of historiography. The rich diversity of modern South Africa needs to be embraced, or the citizenry would be left poorer, should the net not be cast wide enough, thereby placing the emphasis on exclusion and segmentation. The array of “heritages” in the microcosm of a particular region, should be preserved, nurtured and instil in all communities a sense of belonging.

Refreshments will be served afterwards.

Membership

Note that memberships can be renewed now in the following way two ways:

• Electronic deposit (EFT) into our account, or
• A deposit at a Nedbank ATM using their envelopes
   

Our banking particulars remain the same:    Nedbank Savings account 203 707 4425, Branch 103710 Durbanville. Use your name and surname as reference, and send the proof of payment to Durbanvilleheritage@gmail.com.  

Please do not make a cash deposit at a branch as this attracts a R80 deposit fee.   

Alternatively, members can renew their membership at the AGM.  The membership fees remain the same: Member: R100 Couple: R130