Western Cape Defines Preservation Plan for Endangered Heritage

The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport in conjunction with the National Heritage Council (NHC) will host a Heritage Consultative Conference on Saturday, 13 May 2006 from 09h00 to 19h00 at the Gateway to Robben Island, Clock Tower Precinct, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. The theme of the conference is 'Challenges of Heritage in the Age of Hope'.

The main aim of the Consultative Heritage Conference is to allow the sector to address the state of heritage and assist in drafting a Provincial Heritage Development plan. It is anticipated that the plan will strategise how the heritage sector will contribute to tourism, economic growth, poverty alleviation, spatial development frameworks, the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. The outcome of the conference will form part of the national Heritage Transformation Programme led by the NHC.

The Conference will ensure that the preservation and development of heritage takes into account the 2010 Soccer World Cup and its implications to cultural tourism as well as the cultural identity of the province.

Among all the provinces, the Western Cape features prominently in the history of slavery and should take a leading role in this regard. The Consultative Heritage Conference will also deal with the commemoration of slave history. Robben Island is very symbolic both as a World Heritage Site as well as the site in which struggles for human rights were staged. It also has strong links to the history of slavery as well as a colonial entry point. The Western Cape is very symbolic for its history of dispossession since the Khoi-san people interacted with colonial settlers.

The Consultative Heritage Conference will ensure that the heritage sector in the Western Cape agree on issues pertaining to the review of the current heritage legislation and policies. Emphasis will be placed on the following heritage sub-sectors:

• Community Museums
• State Aided Museums
• Geographical Names
• Archives , Libraries and symbols
• Khoi-san Heritage
• Slave Heritage
• Living Heritage

Heritage practitioners, academics, municipalities, institutions and community organizations will be part of the conference.

The media is invited to attend the Conference and a media briefing at 11h00 at the same venue.

Issued by the National Heritage Council and the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport.