Since 1994, South Africa has embraced an inclusive and democratic definition of heritage, yet the protection of the built environment remains uneven. While legislation provides a progressive framework, its implementation is fragile: enforcement is weak, penalties are negligible, and development pressures frequently prevail over preservation.
BOOK REVIEWS
Michael Stevenson’s Samuel Daniell: A Life of an Artist in Southern Africa and Ceylon, 1799–1811 stands as a work of rare distinction: sumptuous in production, meticulous in scholarship, and deeply rewarding in intellectual substance.
BLUE PLAQUES
At the age of 21, Herman Charles Bosman was condemned to death for shooting and killing his step-mother here in 1926. After his sentence was commuted, the young school teacher spent four years in prison, an experience which inspired him to write his book “Cold Stone Jug”. In the twenty years after his release, Bosman wrote the stories and essays for which he gained fame as a writer.