It is with shock, disbelief and sadness that the Heritage Association of South Africa learned of the fire that engulfed the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town on 2nd January.
The damage is a tragic and devastating loss for all South Africans. We mourn with all South Africans. A building of this stature lives through and for its past, its present and its future.
This heritage building came into its own after 1994. As the legislative capital of the country, Parliament represents the essence of democracy.
It was declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and given a Grade 1 national status – the highest grade possible. It is a neo-classical building and compares to the official dominion buildings that evolved in Canada and Australia.
The building is filled with treasures of the past of all South Africa’s communities.
Old photos of the Parliament Buildings
In recent years great effort has been expended on ensuring that the building in all its dimensions speaks for all South Africans. Our Parliament is the custodian...
The Heritage Association of South Africa (HASA) is pleased to announce that the historical town of Barberton, Mpumalanga, will host this year’s heritage symposium taking place from 18 to 20 October. With its rich natural and cultural heritage, combined with breathtaking scenery, Barberton has much to offer.
The choice of venue for the symposium could not be more appropriate. The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains have just been declared a World Heritage Site – the first in Mpumalanga.
Old photo of a section of the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains
“This declaration is a momentous occasion for Barberton that will bring global recognition for the unique natural features of these mountains and will protect them for future generations” said HASA chairperson Jacques Stoltz, who extended congratulations to all those who worked hard to achieve this goal.
The Makhonjwas, dating back 3,6 billion years, comprise the oldest, best-preserved sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks on Earth. Known geologically as the Barberton Greenstone Belt, the physical and chemical characteristics of these highly accessible, ancient exposures provide an unparalleled source of scientific information about the early Earth. The outstanding value of these rocks lies not only in their excellent preservation but also in the large number of sites and features that, when combined, provide a unique, and as yet only partially explored, scientific resource. As required by the World Heritage Convention, they are...
The Heritage Association of South Africa (HASA) is, with growing concern, following reports from heritage preservationists and activists about the crisis unfolding at Museum Africa – in our opinion custodian of one of the finest and most valuable Africana collections in the world.
In short, the crisis stems from critical staff shortages, in some cases, at least, two decades in the making, as important curator, educational, conservation, cleaning, facilities management and security posts have been left vacant.
Simply put, it appears that the City of Johannesburg has failed at that most basic management requirement – skills retention and development.
As a generation of specialist curators have left the museum either through retirement, re-deployment or resignation – no arrangements have been made to ensure the transfer of what amounts to highly specialist skills to a new generation of curators and conservators. To be clear, graduate students – and let's be frank – black humanities graduates are leaving university with little prospect of finding employment in the heritage sector. One would think that the City of Johannesburg would proudly avail its cultural institutions to provide the necessary opportunities for these new job seekers.
We quote from a recent article in the City Press ("MuseuMAfricA's crisis – some positions unfilled for 18 years" by Grethe Koen, City Press, 10 January 2015), "[t]he museum is currently lacking more than eight vital positions, including a costume curator, curator for the traditional black cultural collection, history curator, image curator, conservator, a building manager and educators and...
