Date : 12/03/2005
Source: The Presidency
Title: Zuma: Civil Society Conference
Address by Deputy President Jacob Zuma at the National Heritage Council Civil Society Conference, Ubuntu Kraal, Soweto
The Chairperson and CEO of the National Heritage Council,
Members of the National Heritage Council,
Our distinguished guests from the World Heritage Committee,
Traditional Leaders,
Organs of civil society,
Distinguished participants,
On 27 April 1994, our country became a non-racial, non-sexist democracy and in 1996 our Constitution declared that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in their diversity.
As a result of the historic Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) that gave birth to the 1994 national general elections and the adoption of our democratic Constitution in 1996, a new society and nation was born, and out of the divisions of apartheid, we had to build a nation with a common vision, mission and a heritage that was, although diverse, rich and representative of the greater South African society.
Building a common heritage was never going to be an easy task. We were well aware of the challenges in this respect. But we also knew we had a responsibility to create and develop the understanding and appreciation of the culture and history of all the people of our country.
Most importantly, we had to introduce the history and experiences of the black majority into the archives and heritage architecture of our country. We had to reverse the legacy of apartheid which had rendered black people almost non-existent in the cultural institutions and symbols of our country. Where they were included, it was usually in negative terms or they were presented through the eyes of others.
Your conference therefore is a critical one as it makes us take stock of our approach to our national heritage, and allows interaction between government and civil society, to share views on this matter.
The National Heritage Council is only one year old, but we are pleased that the management and board have seen it fit to undertake a task of this magnitude. With South Africa hosting the 29th Session of the World Heritage Committee in July this year in Durban, it will be quite appropriate for this conference to start reflecting on some of the issues that will be discussed by the Committee.
These issues include the role of heritage sites in the development, production and transformation of identities, issues of community participation in the development of heritage, the issue of representation in the heritage sector, natural and cultural heritage landscape, archaeology and heritage.
The promotion and preservation of the heritage of our country needs to move from the margins to the mainstream. When you travel in many countries in the world, you are struck by the monuments, symbols and artefacts which tell the history and story of the peoples of that particular country.
In 1994, when the democratic government came into power, it faced the mammoth task of undoing the legacy of many decades.
We prioritised the transformation of the state machinery for government to be able to deliver basic social services. We also had to concentrate on many aspects of transformation and to build a solid foundation for a democracy that respected the rights of its citizens, and that was well-poised to improve the quality of life of all.
There should be no doubt as to our commitment to the development and transformation of this country's heritage, as it forms part of our broader plan of building a new nation that is in touch with its history and legacy.
We now have an opportunity to work together in earnest to preserve, promote and develop our national heritage and build a national identity, based on our rich diversity and history.
We still have a number of challenges in the heritage sector, as heritage in our country is still perceived as a preserve of a few. We face the challenge of developing an Afrocentric approach to our heritage preservation and promotion.
For example, we need to ask ourselves what kind of exhibitions we would like to see in our museums, who has access to these museums and how we can promote access by the larger population. We also need to look at how we diversify content in our museums. We also need to look at the decentralisation and diversification of our heritage institutions. They should not be based in the urban centres of our country only.
Our country has gone through a painful history of slavery, colonialism and apartheid. This needs to be reflected in our cultural institutions. We have to take full advantage of the living heritage that we have in the form of our icons who have stories to tell, as well as ordinary people who participated in various campaigns and periods in our history.
Our country has also had a colourful social history, the life in Sophiatown, Mkhumbane, District Six and many other townships and villages. These experiences have to be preserved and documented for future generations.
The history of gold and other aspects of our economic history and the impact this has had on the lives of millions of people in South Africa and the rest of Southern Africa also provide another subject for the heritage sector. We need our archives to reflect the stories and experiences of the miners told by the miners themselves and not the owners of the mines.
What I am emphasising ladies and gentlemen is that the socio-cultural aspects of South African life need to be documented properly in many forms, be it museums, monuments, videos or other archives and many other aspects.
We also have our indigenous knowledge systems which also need to be preserved, developed and protected as a national treasure.
The White Paper on Arts and Culture sets the tone on what transformation needs to address. It succinctly mentions equity, access and redress. We just need to find ways of working together to correct the wrongs of the past, and undertake this nation building task.
Ladies and gentlemen, you would be aware of the potential of heritage as part of our tourism industry. There is a growing interest in cultural tourism in our country, leading to the proliferation of cultural villages.
While we welcome this, we need to ensure that these do not trivialise our culture and heritage but serve to enhance, preserve and promote it. I hope that you will be able to discuss the contribution of heritage to our economic development, balancing tourism benefits with the danger of over-commercialisation of heritage.
I am pleased that organs of the civil society will make an input into Africa position on heritage on the 16th of March, when representatives of the African heritage sector meet in Cape Town to refine and reinforce their position and input in the world Heritage Committee meeting.
There is a lot we can learn from African countries, as our brothers and sisters have been free longer than we have been, and many have dealt with the issue of heritage development and promotion.
It is important that African countries develop a common approach to heritage promotion and protection, as part of the campaign for the renewal of the African continent. We need to review the manner in which we were described and presented to the world by those who had power over us.
As you work on this important aspect of our heritage remember the important factor that a history of a people is a very long journey with ups and downs that requires to be recorded, preserved and promoted.
I wish you well with your deliberations at this conference and all other preparatory efforts, leading to the World Heritage Committee meeting in July. I look forward to regular interactions with the sector, as heritage is a subject that is very close to my heart. I will therefore be keen to see your resolutions and how you wish to take this important matter forward.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
12 March 2005
Source: SAPA
Source: The Presidency
Title: Zuma: Civil Society Conference
Address by Deputy President Jacob Zuma at the National Heritage Council Civil Society Conference, Ubuntu Kraal, Soweto
The Chairperson and CEO of the National Heritage Council,
Members of the National Heritage Council,
Our distinguished guests from the World Heritage Committee,
Traditional Leaders,
Organs of civil society,
Distinguished participants,
On 27 April 1994, our country became a non-racial, non-sexist democracy and in 1996 our Constitution declared that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in their diversity.
As a result of the historic Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) that gave birth to the 1994 national general elections and the adoption of our democratic Constitution in 1996, a new society and nation was born, and out of the divisions of apartheid, we had to build a nation with a common vision, mission and a heritage that was, although diverse, rich and representative of the greater South African society.
Building a common heritage was never going to be an easy task. We were well aware of the challenges in this respect. But we also knew we had a responsibility to create and develop the understanding and appreciation of the culture and history of all the people of our country.
Most importantly, we had to introduce the history and experiences of the black majority into the archives and heritage architecture of our country. We had to reverse the legacy of apartheid which had rendered black people almost non-existent in the cultural institutions and symbols of our country. Where they were included, it was usually in negative terms or they were presented through the eyes of others.
Your conference therefore is a critical one as it makes us take stock of our approach to our national heritage, and allows interaction between government and civil society, to share views on this matter.
The National Heritage Council is only one year old, but we are pleased that the management and board have seen it fit to undertake a task of this magnitude. With South Africa hosting the 29th Session of the World Heritage Committee in July this year in Durban, it will be quite appropriate for this conference to start reflecting on some of the issues that will be discussed by the Committee.
These issues include the role of heritage sites in the development, production and transformation of identities, issues of community participation in the development of heritage, the issue of representation in the heritage sector, natural and cultural heritage landscape, archaeology and heritage.
The promotion and preservation of the heritage of our country needs to move from the margins to the mainstream. When you travel in many countries in the world, you are struck by the monuments, symbols and artefacts which tell the history and story of the peoples of that particular country.
In 1994, when the democratic government came into power, it faced the mammoth task of undoing the legacy of many decades.
We prioritised the transformation of the state machinery for government to be able to deliver basic social services. We also had to concentrate on many aspects of transformation and to build a solid foundation for a democracy that respected the rights of its citizens, and that was well-poised to improve the quality of life of all.
There should be no doubt as to our commitment to the development and transformation of this country's heritage, as it forms part of our broader plan of building a new nation that is in touch with its history and legacy.
We now have an opportunity to work together in earnest to preserve, promote and develop our national heritage and build a national identity, based on our rich diversity and history.
We still have a number of challenges in the heritage sector, as heritage in our country is still perceived as a preserve of a few. We face the challenge of developing an Afrocentric approach to our heritage preservation and promotion.
For example, we need to ask ourselves what kind of exhibitions we would like to see in our museums, who has access to these museums and how we can promote access by the larger population. We also need to look at how we diversify content in our museums. We also need to look at the decentralisation and diversification of our heritage institutions. They should not be based in the urban centres of our country only.
Our country has gone through a painful history of slavery, colonialism and apartheid. This needs to be reflected in our cultural institutions. We have to take full advantage of the living heritage that we have in the form of our icons who have stories to tell, as well as ordinary people who participated in various campaigns and periods in our history.
Our country has also had a colourful social history, the life in Sophiatown, Mkhumbane, District Six and many other townships and villages. These experiences have to be preserved and documented for future generations.
The history of gold and other aspects of our economic history and the impact this has had on the lives of millions of people in South Africa and the rest of Southern Africa also provide another subject for the heritage sector. We need our archives to reflect the stories and experiences of the miners told by the miners themselves and not the owners of the mines.
What I am emphasising ladies and gentlemen is that the socio-cultural aspects of South African life need to be documented properly in many forms, be it museums, monuments, videos or other archives and many other aspects.
We also have our indigenous knowledge systems which also need to be preserved, developed and protected as a national treasure.
The White Paper on Arts and Culture sets the tone on what transformation needs to address. It succinctly mentions equity, access and redress. We just need to find ways of working together to correct the wrongs of the past, and undertake this nation building task.
Ladies and gentlemen, you would be aware of the potential of heritage as part of our tourism industry. There is a growing interest in cultural tourism in our country, leading to the proliferation of cultural villages.
While we welcome this, we need to ensure that these do not trivialise our culture and heritage but serve to enhance, preserve and promote it. I hope that you will be able to discuss the contribution of heritage to our economic development, balancing tourism benefits with the danger of over-commercialisation of heritage.
I am pleased that organs of the civil society will make an input into Africa position on heritage on the 16th of March, when representatives of the African heritage sector meet in Cape Town to refine and reinforce their position and input in the world Heritage Committee meeting.
There is a lot we can learn from African countries, as our brothers and sisters have been free longer than we have been, and many have dealt with the issue of heritage development and promotion.
It is important that African countries develop a common approach to heritage promotion and protection, as part of the campaign for the renewal of the African continent. We need to review the manner in which we were described and presented to the world by those who had power over us.
As you work on this important aspect of our heritage remember the important factor that a history of a people is a very long journey with ups and downs that requires to be recorded, preserved and promoted.
I wish you well with your deliberations at this conference and all other preparatory efforts, leading to the World Heritage Committee meeting in July. I look forward to regular interactions with the sector, as heritage is a subject that is very close to my heart. I will therefore be keen to see your resolutions and how you wish to take this important matter forward.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
12 March 2005
Source: SAPA
