People's Post Mitchell's Plain - 10 November 2020

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MITCHELL'S PLAIN

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ROCKLANDS

Heritage status for civic centre Because of the iconic UDF meeting in 1983 and the role it has played in ending apartheid, the erf which houses the Rocklands civic centre, library and clinic is now a national heritage site. PHOTO: SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS

SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS SAMANTHA.LEE@PEOPLESPOST.CO.ZA @SAMANTHA_LEE121

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fter more than a year since an application was tendered, the erf which houses the Rocklands civic centre has been named a national heritage site. Submitted by Heritage Western Cape, the South African Heritage Resource Authority (Sahra) has recently granted the application. “The Rocklands Civic Centre received provincial heritage status on Tuesday 20 August 2019 to which I was present,” says Danny Christians, the councillor for ward 81. Provincial minister of cultural affairs and sport, Anroux Marais, unveiled the plaque at the event last year, granting erf 11553 provincial heritage status. The erf includes the civic centre, Rocklands library, memorial square with the UDF memorial monument and Rocklands community health care centre. “At the department, we strive to provide

for the conservation, promotion and development of heritage resources to facilitate processes for the standardisation or changes, where necessary, to assist with heritage resource management by implementing at provincial level the mandates of the World Heritage Convention Act, 1999 and the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999,” says Marais in a statement. “Together with the expert assistance of Heritage Western Cape and the City of Cape Town’s facilitation, the political and social significance of this site is now officially acknowledged and will rightfully be promoted in the public domain as a National Heritage Site.” Christians agrees having the site declared was the result of a joint effort. “The City of Cape Town is working towards becoming united in our diversity and overcoming the legacy of the past as we are building an inclusive city. The UDF memorial was necessary to ignite a fire of activism, reminding people of what can be achieved despite all odds. The UDF mission is enshrined in the Bill of Rights,” says Christians.

“I believe that the establishment of the UDF was to reclaim the African Dream; that its vision was for a new kind of politics.” A memorial monument was established at the site to mark the 1983 establishment of the UDF which was the start of the largest sociopolitical movement that united South Africans from diverse backgrounds to fight against the injustices of apartheid. Following in-depth research on the site, the civic centre was eventually granted heritage status based on the socio-political significance the hall had played. The Rocklands civic centre also made history earlier this year as it played host to the first sitting of provincial parliament outside the parliamentary precinct (“Plain to host Parliament”, People’s Post, 28 January). The decision to host parliament outside the parliamentary precinct was made by speaker of the house Masizole Mnqasela in 2019 and formed part of the Sixth Parliament’s commitment to take the house closer to the people. The event, which took place on Thursday 20 February, was the official opening of the house and premier Alan

Winde’s State of the Province address (Sopa). The following day saw the official Sopa debate at the same venue. “The declaration of National Heritage Site is indeed welcomed by the Western Cape government as we can all agree that the value of the Rocklands community complex lies in its societal nature, amplified by its sociopolitical significance. We look forward to collaboratively sharing the significance of the newly declared National Heritage Site of erf 11553,” says Marais. She further thanked all who had a part in having the site declared. “We are indeed grateful to each stakeholder as you have contributed to a community’s sense of place, belonging and purpose and unleashed its potential to yield information contributing to a wider understanding of the history of co-existence in the Western Cape,” says Marais. Christians says: “The declaration of the Rocklands civic centre as a National Heritage site makes us proud as South Africans and strongly hinges on sustainable development and transformation.”


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