The Chairperson of the Council of the S A Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), Dr Sifiso Ndlovu, announced in Grahamstown today that three Eastern Cape sites had been assessed for Grade I status in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act.

"What this means is that Egazini in Grahamstown, the Sarah Bartmann burial site in Hankey and the birthplace of Nelson Mandela in Mveso, meet the criteria for national significance", said Dr Ndlovu. "SAHRA will now enter into the next phase of consultation with stakeholders to complete their research and draw up conservation management plans. The procedure is vital to ensure that these places retain their significance and integrity. Once these conservation measures are in place, they may be declared as National Heritage Sites". 

The SAHRA Council, which consists of representatives from all nine provinces and five additional members appointed by the national Minister of Arts and Culture, met in Port Elizabeth on Friday to hear proposals from representatives of the Makana, Kouga and OR Tambo district municipalities. They then made on-site inspections at Makana and Hankey. This is the first time in the history of SAHRA that municipalities have played such a key role in the process of nominating national heritage sites.  

"SAHRA has a new vision for heritage management that is inclusive and representative in its approach", said Dr Ndlovu. "We are particularly keen to encourage the participation of all South Africans in the identification and management of our common cultural heritage. Our visit to the Eastern Cape is part of the process of developing a new ethos and practice for cultural heritage management in South Africa, especially in previously neglected areas and communities". 

Egazini (the Place of Blood) is the site of the so-called Battle of Grahamstown in 1819 which took place between British forces and the AmaXhosa led by Nxele (Makana). More than 2000 AmaXhosa died. The Makana Municipality’s submission to SAHRA described that battle as ‘a critical turning point in European-African relations, unparalleled anywhere on the African continent. 

The burial site of Sarah Bartmann near Hankey is a place of pilgrimage that has become a symbol for the promotion of human rights, gender equality and the emancipation of women, and particularly for the regeneration of pride in the culture of people of Khoekhoe and San descent.  The remains of Sarah Bartmann, who died in Paris 1816, were repatriated to South Africa for burial in 2002 after a long struggle at diplomatic level. 

The remains of a barely visible homestead at Mveso are all that is left of the birthplace of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela where he lived for the first year of his life.  It was last occupied in 1919 when his father, Chief Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, left the village with his family when he was dispossessed of his title, his government stipend and his land because of his principled decision to defy the colonial regime.  The landscape is intact and forms a focal point to celebrate the life of South Africa’s greatest leader.

Issued by
Dr Sifiso Mxolisi Ndlovu - Chairperson, SAHRA