Cape Town – A host of Heritage Day celebrations are set to take place across the City tomorrow, including the much-anticipated renaming of Keizersgracht Street to Hanover Street.
Hundreds of former and current District Six residents are expected to attend the renaming celebrations from 9am.
District Six working committee chairperson Shahied Ajam said the day’s activities would be historic.
“We are grateful Hanover Street can now take back its rightful place in history, which of course would be an important step in the healing process for the dispossessed people.
"And what a momentous occasion it would be on Heritage Day, when it will be officially handed to the community of District Six with a short ceremony attended by all relevant role-players and stakeholders – a symbolic gesture of great political, cultural and historic significance. We hope to mark the occasion as the most memorable Heritage Day Celebration in the history of the Western Cape, if not in all of South Africa,” said Ajam.
The annual Heritage Tour of the Southern Cape Old Car Club (SCOCC), concludes tomorrow after kicking off on Friday. SCOCC members hail from George, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, as well as Beaufort West and Victoria West.
Kobus Halliday, who has one of the largest private collections of old cars in South Africa, said: “This year’s Heritage Tour will be the second I will take my 1970 Opel Record on. I am only the second owner and the car gives me 11km/litre on the open road”.
The annual in_heritage festival will also be celebrated by Iziko Museums, with free entry to selected museums.
Entry to Groot Constantia and the Castle of Good Hope is free tomorrow, and the Planetarium’s shows are half-price.
To recognise Heritage Day, Independent Media has launched a campaign in honour of the important contribution made by many Africans and African countries who enabled South Africa to overcome its dark past and create its new heritage.
Independent Media executive chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé, said: “Transformation is at the heart of what we do at Independent Media.
"As an African media organisation with representation across the continent, I want to reach out and embrace our African comrades on this Heritage Day and say thank you for all your efforts in helping South Africa to attain its liberation.”
This campaign was a timely reminder to South Africans of just how crucial other African countries were in fighting alongside millions of South Africans to achieve democracy.
The spirit of the campaign is captured in the words: “Heritage Day is not only for every South African, but every African who made it possible.”