Endangered Heritage

2017 has not been a good year for heritage in South Africa. From fires in the Western Cape that claimed the 1792 Du Toit Manor House in Paarl, among others, to the theft of the Thulamela gold collection at the Kruger National Park in December 2016 (only made public knowledge in June this year), the losses have been significant.

Then there was the untold damage to major landmark buildings, including but not limited to the city halls of Pretoria and Bloemfontein, and temporary closures at the Johannesburg Art Gallery and Hector Pieterson Museum in Johannesburg. Fires, floods and negligence have taken their toll.

Bloemfontein City Hall (Christoff Steyn)

Not even prominent liberation names such as Robert Sobukwe and Winnie Mandela could protect sites. The saga of the proposed Winnie Mandela House Museum in Brandfort and the law offices of Sobukwe in Galeshewe are telling examples of official neglect.

In July, the Heritage Monitoring Project called on the public to nominate threatened heritage sites that did not make headlines nor receive much public attention.

In response, thirty-seven submissions were received by the Project, covering endangered and threatened heritage sites across eight of the nine provinces. The nominations include...

Below is the first article in a series on the Brixton Cemetery by Kathy Munro. The piece begins by giving the reader a general understanding of the purpose, origin and meaning of cemeteries before delving into the history and significance of Brixton Cemetery. It finishes by highlighting the shocking current state of the cemetery and attempts by local groups to take action. Future articles will look at the epitaphs and symbolism of the Brixton Cemetery as well as stories behind the graves and family memorials.

Walker grave-site Brixton Cemetery (Kathy Munro)

Why the fascination of a cemetery? Cemeteries have always fascinated me. I love their tranquillity, remoteness and solitude. Stepping within the gates of a cemetery takes one into another world; it is the world of the dead but belongs to the living. Cemeteries are strange places as they are resting places for the dead, a means of disposing of a deceased body, but they are also places for the living to return to, to mourn, grieve and remember a loved one. I may not know any of the people buried there but immediately I become a vicarious mourner if only for an hour or two. Cemeteries are places to reflect on mortality, life, death, longevity and the possibility of an afterlife. 

Cemetery definition. By definition a ”cemetery” is a place or ground set...

In September 2016, the Heritage Monitoring Project ran a campaign to draw attention to endangered heritage sites across South Africa. The result was a top ten list as well a long list that could be tracked over time. We recently put out a call for updates and have updated the relevant tracking threads hosted on The Heritage Portal (click here to view). Below is a quick overview of how a few sites are looking half a year on from the campaign.

Western Cape

There has been a lot of positive action in the Province. The Swellendam Heritage Association has reported that officials from Heritage Western Cape have shown keen interest in the Sugar Bridge (click here to view thread). A number of meetings and site visits have occurred in recent months and it appears as though there is all round commitment for restoration. This is certainly a step in the right direction.

The Sugar Bridge (Marcus Holmes)

The Hout Bay and Llandudno Heritage Association has revealed that the exposure for East Fort (click here to view thread) led to a meeting with the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport. The Minister asked the CEO of Heritage Western Cape to continue the conversation and a solid meeting was held in November 2016 where the issues and opportunites facing the site were discussed (the Association is...