Some Free State residents unhappy with closure of heritage sites

As South Africans celebrate Heritage Day, some residents of Meqheleng in Ficksburg in the Free State, are not happy that a number of heritage sites have been closed.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile in his capacity as Acting President will deliver the keynote address at the day’s national event at the Meqheleng Stadium.

A community activist Tommy Ancell says the closure of the heritage sites has made it difficult for people to do their traditional and customary practices.

“We have cultural issues, we have people that need to be practicing their cultural issues but are unable to practice them because the heritage sites are closed. We used to have a sacred site called Motoulong and Nkokomohi that have been closed or sold,  now meaning our people cannot really express or practice their cultures.”

Traditionalist Gauda Sithole says the closure of heritage sites in Ficksburg is worrying.

“We had a site called Nkokomohi where people would go pray and practice their culture and communicate with ancestors. And those people would come back healed. The place has been running since 1980. We’ve been pleading with the government that this place be utilized again so that people may get healed,” adds Sithole.

The video below is reporting more on the story:

On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on businesses and other stakeholders to work with the government on heritage preservation, particularly in marginalised communities.

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa says South Africa’s diverse heritage is one of the country’s most valuable assets.

The President has lamented the uneven private support for heritage sites, saying these sites present opportunities to stimulate local economies as well as assist in nation-building and reconciliation.

Ramaphosa says a lack of support for less prominent heritage sites, outside those like Robben Island, the Mandela House in Soweto and Constitution Hill, has resulted in these falling into disrepair.

He says this is a wasted opportunity as these sites provide work opportunities in the communities in which they are situated.

He says it is the responsibility of government together with the private sector, corporate sponsors and philanthropies to ensure these legacies and safeguard them for future generations.

The video below reports more on Heritage Day: