Friday, April 1, 2011

Mapping out the South African Liberation Heritage Route

Yesterday I was at the Convention Center in Midrand for the 2nd session of the LHR project. What really stood out for me was the fact that not all the groups that make up the diverse populace of South Africa were represented. It was dominated by black South Africans with a small smattering of white people, no Indians and a few descendants of the Khoisan.

I will be blogging in more detail about this but I'd like to leave you with this thought - is it possible to have a legitimate and successful representation of a country's heritage if all the voices are not included? The Khoisan (under which there are 5 ethnic groups) have practically been written out of the history of South Africa and yet they are the original inhabitants not the black tribes nor the Afrikaners.

My summation is that until every single story that is part and parcel of the history of this country is told, with honesty and respect, the deep wounds of the apartheid system will never be laid to rest.

Currently ANC is the one who pays the piper and its tune is the dominant one, so are the stories being circulated.




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