The City of Cape Town’s Community Services and Health Directorate is celebrating Heritage Month with a range of activities.
‘We celebrate Heritage Month not only to recognise and celebrate the cultural wealth of our diverse communities, but also to pay homage to our past and where we come from. As such, it is important that we show the present generation the importance of history and how it can be used to promote diversity as well as peace and reconciliation,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
A Cradle of Human Culture exhibition on the concourse level in the Cape Town Civic Centre is one of the events aimed at creating social cohesion.
The exhibition is open to the public until 30 September during office hours and is a collaboration between the City’s Community Services and Health Directorate, the provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Wesgro, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism in the Western Cape and the Cradle of Humankind/ Maropeng interpretation centre in Gauteng.
The exhibition aims to educate South Africans about the importance of archaeological sites in the country.
Additionally, the exhibition hopes to make people excited about exploring the journey of the Cradle of Human Culture and to become more aware of the presence of other World Heritage sites in the country.
‘These sites help us understand the development of modern human behaviour with evidence dating back 67 000 years. It is also a reminder of our shared origins,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
The City’s Arts and Culture Branch will host a three-day Heritage Awareness programme at the Langa Cultural Precinct on 28, 29 and 30 September.
Members of the community will be taken on a guided tour showcasing exhibitions on the SS Mendi, cultural mapping, medicinal plants, community exhibitions, a live reading from the Anni Silinga play, and some cultural activities at the Amphitheatre.
Some of the upcoming activities at libraries include:
Storytelling at the Bellville Library on Saturday, 25 September
Heritage celebrations at Crossroads Library on 29 September
A heritage display at Maitland Library 1-30 September 2021
E-gaming at Ottery Library on 6 October
For details about these events, contact the respective library directly.
‘Our heritage shows us what our past looks like and speaks to how we can improve and build a better future together. I encourage residents to visit our heritage and cultural sites and discover the full range of our shared inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and culture.’ said Councillor Badroodien.
Source: City Of Cape Town