Pretoria - This Heritage Month the capital city is set to show that it has a lot to offer when it comes to celebrations of cultural and heritage sites.
The official opening of Paul Kruger’s office at Ou Raadsaal in Pretoria’s inner city will be among the activities used by the City of Tshwane to mark its rich heritage.
The event scheduled for September 23 will mark the opening of the Paul Kruger collection at Ou Raadsaal as a tourist attraction, and linking it to Melrose House.
The two offices and a small committee room to the left of the foyer of the Ou Raadsaal were used by Paul Kruger and his secretaries during his four terms of office as the president of the Transvaal.
In the spirit of celebrating the nation’s diverse culture and heritage, the City has encouraged residents to attend Heritage Month programmes and visit museums as a way of fostering social cohesion, nation building and a shared national identity.
MMC for Community and Social Development Services, Peggy de Bruin, said: “Heritage Month offers an opportunity for all of us to come together and celebrate our diverse cultures, traditions, and languages. This year, the City has partnered with various stakeholders to offer a rich cultural experience for residents.”
One of the highlights of the month will be the Mamelodi Heritage Marathon to be hosted at Solomon Mahlangu Square in Mamelodi West on September 25, to promote a healthy lifestyle in communities.
The event will consist of 21km, 10km and 5km runs, as well as aerobics.
On September 24, the Centurion Heritage Association will commemorate people who died at Irene concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War. The camp is a national heritage site under the protection of the South African Heritage Resources Agency. More than 2 000 people are buried at the cemetery.
The Amandebele Ba Lebelo Traditional Council is also looking forward to hosting its annual event on September 30 to preserve its legacy and history, and to shape the future of their community in relation to culture and human development.
De Bruin encouraged the public to visit and make use of Pretoria’s diverse heritage sites. The Heritage Month celebration, she said, has created a conducive environment for all people to embrace and celebrate heritage.
“In order to commemorate Heritage Month, the City of Tshwane is partnering with other tiers of government, community-based structures, academic institutions, corporate companies and cultural heritage institutions to implement activities,” she said.
The Mothong African heritage project in Mamelodi, founded by traditional healer Dr Ephraim Mabena, will host a heritage event on September 23 in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology.
The event will afford the project to present the indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants to the community.
For years, Mabena advocated for the promotion of indigenous knowledge and cultivating plant species with medicinal and cosmeceutical potential and developing a processing plant on site.
Many schools visit there to learn about the plants and animals on the mountain and the significance of conservation.
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