Friday, October 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
What Does Heritage Mean for Planners and Developers:Heritage and the Changing Face of African Cities:
The past few years have seen major central business districts (CBDs) in South Africa transform before our very eyes. Investors and property developers are rushing towards city centres with the aim of converting old and often dilapidated building into sound property investments. The driving force behind this resurgence of investors, and property developers alike, to the CBs is manifold; among other reasons are the improved transport service systems (e.g. the Bus Rapid Transit/BRT & the Gautrain in Johannesburg and Pretoria), tighter security measures, and promised tax incentives within identified city’s urban development zones which form part of city’s integrated development plans (IDPs). In Johannesburg these urban development zones include among others: Braamfontein, Newton, Jeppestown, the Fashion District, and Faraday.
According to Nkosinathi Tomose, Director of ACHA, any building that is over 60 years old, occupy more than three erven/stands, over 5000 m2 (or even less when taking the age issue into account), is of unique architectural style, historical (socio-cultural & political) and of scientific significance is by law protected as one of South Africa’s cultural heritage sources. This is in accordance with the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999; a heritage legislation promulgated in 1999 for the identification, protection, management, conservation, and promotion of heritage resources sites in South Africa. This legislation plays an important role in influencing many of the cities bylaws and integrated development plans (IDPs). In terms of city developments this means the encouragement and realisation of synergies that exist between the past, present and future face of African cities. He furthers suggests that, this is important for cities that subscribe to the idea of World Class City like the City of Johannesburg which claims to be the World Class African City. To sum it up; in terms of development this means that, new developments have to complement historic landscapes and architectural features that have, over time, come to characterise most of South African cities cultural landscape like the monumental structures, streets scapes, and public spaces of cities such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth etc. For investor and developers this means that, it is important and advisable for one to fully understand the nature and character of each building or block of buildings that one intends to invest in and/or develop; there are some buildings that one can do certain things with such as getting a permit from the relevant authority for total demolition of the building to put up a new structure, permit for intensive renovations and alterations, and those building that one would have to work with under certain restrictive measures such as doing minor alterations without tainting the historic fabric of the structure and its surrounding. Cities that subscribe to the agenda of World Class City and which use heritage as one of their branding strategies have very strict rules when it comes to developments that are not sensitive to heritage resources. Therefore, developers have to always do heritage assessment of the building they intend to develop prior to any form of development taking place at the site. This is encouraged by many cities’ Planning and Development Departments: departments which authorises city’s developmental projects.
According to Nkosinathi, a heritage impact assessment (HIA) is basically a study aimed at assessing and evaluating the potential impact of development on heritage resources or sites. It is required in developments that involve: historic buildings and shelters; monumental sites/structures (e.g. the Old Park Station opposite Nelson Mandela Bridge); historic landscapes features such as pavements, bridges, bus stops, road circles (e.g. the Brooklyn Circle in Pretoria; tramps/bus trolley tracks (e.g. in Newtown, Johannesburg & in Church Square, Pretoria); in large developments as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and in land zoning projects. At times developers are exempted from doing HIA; however, this is varied from case to case and depends on your heritage specialist motivation of the project and why an HIA will not be required.
Nkosinathi Tomose is a Founding Director at Art, Culture & Heritage Africa (ACHA) cc, a cultural resources management firm based in 18 Clamart Road, Richmond, Johannesburg, South Africa. He can be contacted on the following number (078 163 0657) and e-mail: acha.cc@gmail.com.
According to Nkosinathi Tomose, Director of ACHA, any building that is over 60 years old, occupy more than three erven/stands, over 5000 m2 (or even less when taking the age issue into account), is of unique architectural style, historical (socio-cultural & political) and of scientific significance is by law protected as one of South Africa’s cultural heritage sources. This is in accordance with the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999; a heritage legislation promulgated in 1999 for the identification, protection, management, conservation, and promotion of heritage resources sites in South Africa. This legislation plays an important role in influencing many of the cities bylaws and integrated development plans (IDPs). In terms of city developments this means the encouragement and realisation of synergies that exist between the past, present and future face of African cities. He furthers suggests that, this is important for cities that subscribe to the idea of World Class City like the City of Johannesburg which claims to be the World Class African City. To sum it up; in terms of development this means that, new developments have to complement historic landscapes and architectural features that have, over time, come to characterise most of South African cities cultural landscape like the monumental structures, streets scapes, and public spaces of cities such as Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth etc. For investor and developers this means that, it is important and advisable for one to fully understand the nature and character of each building or block of buildings that one intends to invest in and/or develop; there are some buildings that one can do certain things with such as getting a permit from the relevant authority for total demolition of the building to put up a new structure, permit for intensive renovations and alterations, and those building that one would have to work with under certain restrictive measures such as doing minor alterations without tainting the historic fabric of the structure and its surrounding. Cities that subscribe to the agenda of World Class City and which use heritage as one of their branding strategies have very strict rules when it comes to developments that are not sensitive to heritage resources. Therefore, developers have to always do heritage assessment of the building they intend to develop prior to any form of development taking place at the site. This is encouraged by many cities’ Planning and Development Departments: departments which authorises city’s developmental projects.
According to Nkosinathi, a heritage impact assessment (HIA) is basically a study aimed at assessing and evaluating the potential impact of development on heritage resources or sites. It is required in developments that involve: historic buildings and shelters; monumental sites/structures (e.g. the Old Park Station opposite Nelson Mandela Bridge); historic landscapes features such as pavements, bridges, bus stops, road circles (e.g. the Brooklyn Circle in Pretoria; tramps/bus trolley tracks (e.g. in Newtown, Johannesburg & in Church Square, Pretoria); in large developments as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and in land zoning projects. At times developers are exempted from doing HIA; however, this is varied from case to case and depends on your heritage specialist motivation of the project and why an HIA will not be required.
Nkosinathi Tomose is a Founding Director at Art, Culture & Heritage Africa (ACHA) cc, a cultural resources management firm based in 18 Clamart Road, Richmond, Johannesburg, South Africa. He can be contacted on the following number (078 163 0657) and e-mail: acha.cc@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Heritage Prologue: The Power of Cultural Politics: Legacy of Nelson M...
Heritage Prologue: The Power of Cultural Politics: Legacy of Nelson M...: "The politics of cultural and political identity have the potential power to build, destroy, humper and/or dent countries, as well as individ..."
The Future of Cultural Heritage Institutions in South Africa
The controversy around the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mvezo in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa has led me to question the future of museums development in the country. However, my reservations about the future museums development in the country do not only emanate from the controversy around the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mvezo. The Robben Island Museum where most of the South African political activists, including Nelson Mandela among others, were detained has been surrounded by controversy in the recent past; varying from missmanagement of funds to lack of capacity by those tasked with the responsibility of managing and promoting the institution.
The question that develops from the above is: what is the future of cultural heritage institutions in South Africa (e.g. museums, galleries, theatres, and interpretation centre's). Existing government policy frameworks and legislations, such as the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage (1996); the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999; and the Cultural Heritage Institutions Act, No. 119 of 1999, have failed to address challenges faced by South African heritage institutions in their variety of forms. In 2006 we had of existing cultural heritage policy amendements in the country; however, the results and effectiveness of these amandements are still to be seen. One of the primary reasons for challenges faced our cultural heritage institutions, museum to be specific, in the country is that they are not given enough space in existing cultural heritage policies/legislations: they are often mentioned in passing. Even the Cultural Heritage Institutions Act, No. 119 of 1999 which we had anticipated would take active role in encourging the development of museum culture in the country as legislative framework for museum failed its mandate. Instead of taking a wholestic approach to the establishment, development, managenment, as well the romotions of museums in the country it instead stressed or emphaised the place of national museums, the flagship instituions. Private, City, and Community Museums are no where mentioned.
The newly proposed National Museums Policy Framework by the Department of Arts and Culture South Africa is curious, but also interesting. First it still puts emphasis on the "National"...even though it claims to accommodate among other museums: private and community museums. I think the discussion around museums policy framework should focus on South African Museums Policy Framework to cover a broad spectrum of cultural heritage instituions in the country, to include galleries, theatres, and enterpretation centres as forms of cultural heritage institutions that could be used for cultural expression, education, protection and promotion of South African cultural heritage and contestation of ideas by communities they surround.
Hopefully it will also curb dowm corruption in the museum sector by setting norms and standards for funding optons of museums in the country, but also their Governance.
Nkosinathi Tomose
Founding Director: Art, Culture & Heritage Africa.cc
E-mail: acha.cc@gmail.com
Cell: 078 163 0657
The question that develops from the above is: what is the future of cultural heritage institutions in South Africa (e.g. museums, galleries, theatres, and interpretation centre's). Existing government policy frameworks and legislations, such as the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage (1996); the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999; and the Cultural Heritage Institutions Act, No. 119 of 1999, have failed to address challenges faced by South African heritage institutions in their variety of forms. In 2006 we had of existing cultural heritage policy amendements in the country; however, the results and effectiveness of these amandements are still to be seen. One of the primary reasons for challenges faced our cultural heritage institutions, museum to be specific, in the country is that they are not given enough space in existing cultural heritage policies/legislations: they are often mentioned in passing. Even the Cultural Heritage Institutions Act, No. 119 of 1999 which we had anticipated would take active role in encourging the development of museum culture in the country as legislative framework for museum failed its mandate. Instead of taking a wholestic approach to the establishment, development, managenment, as well the romotions of museums in the country it instead stressed or emphaised the place of national museums, the flagship instituions. Private, City, and Community Museums are no where mentioned.
The newly proposed National Museums Policy Framework by the Department of Arts and Culture South Africa is curious, but also interesting. First it still puts emphasis on the "National"...even though it claims to accommodate among other museums: private and community museums. I think the discussion around museums policy framework should focus on South African Museums Policy Framework to cover a broad spectrum of cultural heritage instituions in the country, to include galleries, theatres, and enterpretation centres as forms of cultural heritage institutions that could be used for cultural expression, education, protection and promotion of South African cultural heritage and contestation of ideas by communities they surround.
Hopefully it will also curb dowm corruption in the museum sector by setting norms and standards for funding optons of museums in the country, but also their Governance.
Nkosinathi Tomose
Founding Director: Art, Culture & Heritage Africa.cc
E-mail: acha.cc@gmail.com
Cell: 078 163 0657
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Power of Cultural Politics: Legacy of Nelson Mandela Contested
The politics of cultural and political identity have the potential power to build, destroy, humper and/or dent countries, as well as individual, cultural legacy. The fiasco taking place at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mvezo in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa represent one such example of how cultural politics of identity can lead to the destruction of peoples and countries cultural identity. At the heart of the debate is the grandson of the former president Nelson Mandela, Mandla Mandela, members of the Nelson Mandla Museum, the Department of Arts and Culture South Africa, National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, and the R8000000 trophy contested. The question that develops out of this is who owns the Nelson Mandela legacy? We know Mandla is not new to controvesial disputes about the Mandela legacy; at one point he was suggested to have sold Nelson Mandela burial rights to the SABC for millions of rands even though is disputed the allegations. On the other hand it leaves us with the question as to what will happen to the lagacy of uTata once ekhothamile (is no longer)?
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