DCAS to investigate formal protection of the Griqua Kranshoek Monument | Western Cape Government

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DCAS to investigate formal protection of the Griqua Kranshoek Monument

8 September 2014

This morning, the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo and the Mayor of Bitou Municipality, Mr Memory Booysen, met with members of the Griqua community in Plettenberg Bay to discuss issues around the recognition of Heritage Sites in the province.

This meeting was extremely successful with the cultural leaders engaging with me and my department officials extensively.

It was decided that the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport will investigate how we, under the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999, can protect the Kranshoek Monument which is central to the Griqua Culture. I am committed to ensuring that this site is not only recognised but is to be protected under legislation so that it can be officially registered.

The National Heritage Resources Act makes provision for different types of protection for heritage sites that are applicable to the Kranshoek sites.

Formal protections are applied to sites that have been identified as being conservation worthy and around which a formal process of nomination for protection takes place.  If the nomination is successful there should be a formal publication of the protection either in the government or provincial gazette or in a municipality’s Spatial Development Plan or zoning scheme.

In order to formally protect a site it first has to be graded.  The grading requires that it be assessed either as a grade I, II or III site, equating to being of national (National Heritage Site), provincial (Provincial Heritage Site) or local (register or heritage area) significance.

Regarding the Kranshoek Monument we will request that the Heritage Western Cape Council investigate the possibility of grading it so that it can be given formal protection should this community wish to do so.

As we go through Heritage Month, it is essential that far beyond the festivities, Government plays its role with the different cultural groups, to ensure that places of cultural significance are given the requisite recognition and protection.

The Western Cape Government is committed to doing just this.

Media Enquiries: 

Siviwe Gwarube
Spokesperson for Minister Mbombo
Tel: 021 483 9800
Cell: 076 055 6280
E-mail: siviwe.gwarube@westerncape.gov.za