Museums must reflect our shared heritage, aspirations

LAST year for Heritage Month, I wrote an opinion article titled “Your untold story can contribute to broadening our heritage narrative” in which I made an argument towards inclusivity, to flip the inherited heritage side of the coin that will have the courage to disrupt homogeneity and advance heterogeneity in pursuit of establishing the alternative memory where two sides of the heritage narrative coin intersect, influence each other, and hybridise, in pursuit of dialogic engagements and transformative output.

- MOTSAATHEBE SEREKOANE

Here follows some brief reflection on the article...

Putting our conversation about the diverse facets of our heritage - both its uplifting moments and its painful truths - on hold for just one day a year will not address the deeper issues we face.

In 2024, I invited everyone to join me in bringing to light the rich and inspiring narratives that form the other side of the South African heritage coin. This invitation aligned with the theme of celebrating the remarkable lives of our heroes and heroines, the brave individuals who selflessly laid down their lives for our freedom and dignity.

On September 27, we held a moving homecoming ceremony to honour the repatriation of the bodies of 42 South Africans who died in exile in Zimbabwe and Zambia, a moment filled with deep emotion and reflection as we welcomed them back to their homeland. Huge success, but it can't end with the homecoming ceremony and reburial; it’s a rich heritage story that needs to be documented and taught to the next generation.

There is certainly a noticeable difference between braaiing A-Grade and C-Grade meat. A-Grade meat, with its rich marbling and vibrant colour, cooks swiftly on the grill, transforming into a juicy, tender delight that you can savour within minutes.

Each succulent bite melts in your mouth, offering a truly satisfying experience. On the other hand, C-Grade meat presents a different challenge. It requires a longer cooking time, and even then, it tends to be tough and chew(y) demanding more effort to enjoy, if you can manage it at all. This contrast in textures and flavours was brought to mind by my visit to a few museums around the country in the year 2000, where I encountered both the brilliance and the struggle of appreciating complex curation in a post-conflict society.