Heritage Day Educational and outreach program 24 September 2020 with the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Ms Desery Fienies and children from the Deurbraak Vir Jesus Missionary in Keimoes
South Africa will celebrate Heritage Month under the theme “Celebrating South Africa’s Living Human Treasures”. The question of living human treasures is very relevant in this instance since it is being acknowledged that most of what still needs to be excavated, coded and stored is available from the many living archives and therefore highlights the need to extract as much knowledge as possible from these living treasures within the sport, arts and culture space.
The Northern Cape’s Living Human Treasure is Ouma Katriena Esau. She was bestowed with this honour as a Living Human Treasure by the National Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Mr. Nathi Mthethwa on the 07 September 2020 .
The Premier of the Northern Cape Dr. Zamani Saul hosted a special luncheon for Ouma Katriena Esau where he acknowledged the important and significant role she is playing with regards to the development and preservation of the N!UU language in the Northern Cape.
He has also committed the support of the Northern Cape Provincial Government to ensure that we improve the living conditions of Ouma Katriena Esau as well as ensuring that we provide the necessary assistance to the school that she is operating where about 40 learners are being taught the N!UU language.
Therefore as part of Heritage Month Celebrations the MEC for Sport , Arts and Culture Ms Desery Fienies will be embarking on a Heritage and indigenous tour with 15 children from the “Deurbraak vir Jesus”Missionary in Keimoes.
The main aim of the tour is to
- Promote the rich and diverse indigenous knowledge systems of South Africa
- Expose learners and the youth to the richness of South African indigenous heritage
- Advance the profile of South Africa’s outstanding indigenous knowledge holders as the moral compasses in our communities
- Enhance social cohesion and nation building through indigenous knowledge
- Promote “cultural appropriateness" and cultural feminism in how women and the children are meant to be spoken to and cared for as inculcated in our societal values within our history and heritage.
The Heritage sites to be visited on the educational tour is as forth
Upington
Upington 26 monument
This monument was erected on the field in Paballelo township where about 3 000 anti-apartheid protesters were tear gassed by riot police in 1985. A municipal policeman living nearby was killed in the ensuing chaos.
The “Upington 26” went on trial for participating in what was controversially deemed to be a crowd killing, under the doctrine of common purpose. Twenty-five were found guilty of the constable’s murder, with 14 of them sentenced to death, and one was convicted of attempted murder.
The case sparked an international outcry, and the death sentences were later overturned, with most serving prison terms and subsequently being released as political prisoners.
Camel and Rider Statue, The
In front of the police station, the statue honours the ‘mounties’ who, on camels, patrolled the harsh desert territory.
Date Palm Avenue
The attractive entrance to Die Eiland Holiday Resort was declared a national monument in 1982. The palms were planted in 1935 by officials of the Department of Lands. The avenue of more than 200 date palms planted 9m apart is 1 041m long, making it one of the longest and densest palm avenues in the Southern Hemisphere.
Kalahari Oranje Museum, The
Built in 1875 as a church and mission station, it houses domestic items reflecting the history of Upington and the Lower Orange River. The monument of the donkey, sculpted in bronze, symbolises the unselfish contribution made by this beast of burden in developing the Lower Orange River Valley during the pioneering days.
Riemvasmaak
North west of the little town of Kakamas and bordering the Augrabies National Park is the Riemvasmaak Community Conservancy, 75 000 hectares of land between the flowing Orange and dry Molopo rivers.
Pronounced 'reem fuss mark', meaning 'tighten the strap', the conservancy is the very first land restitution story. In the 1960s there was a rather callous enforced removal of the residents of this beautiful mountain desert wilderness mostly Damara and Koranna Khoi tribes by the then Apartheid government, so that the land could be used as a military training facility.
The tour will kick off at the Upington 26 Memorial Site at 09h00 on the 24 September 2020 where after we will be visiting the afore mentioned sites. The media is hereby cordially invited to join MEC Desery Fienies and the children from the Deurbraak vir Jesus Missionary on the educational tour.
Enquiries:
Conrad Fortune
Media Liaison Officer : Ministry of Sport ,Arts and Culture – Northern Cape
Cell: 079 873 0679
