VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages
Abstract
Colonialism and apartheid have cleaved deep wounds into many aspects of South African life – physically and emotionally. In the 1960s, the apartheid government forcibly removed people of colour from areas close to the centre of towns and cities they had deemed ‘for whites only’. One such area was Die Vlakte in Stellenbosch, a town roughly 50kms inland from Cape Town. Subsequently, a number of buildings on Stellenbosch University’s campus were built on land where Die Vlakte used to be – including the current Arts and Social Sciences Main Building. This study considers the history of the forced removals of this area and discusses projects and initiatives – in collaboration with the local communities – that have arisen to address some of the injustices of the past. This includes projects undertaken by students to memorialise the history of the forced removals, the University’s apology to Die Vlakte community and the corresponding bursary it established in 2015 for its descendants, the installation of a 1960s map of the area on the façade of the Arts and Social Sciences Building, and a current project of a commemorative garden next to this building where previous residents will be able to reconnect with their land, history, and identity. These initiatives will be discussed through the theoretical perspectives of social justice and shame. This study, which falls under the theme of Local Histories – Regional Cultures, acknowledges heritage and community identity affected by geographical displacement and offers a discussion of collaborative initiatives as steps towards healing and the rectifying of past injustices.
Dr Gera de Villiers is the Postdoctoral Fellow for the Visual Redress Project at Stellenbosch University.
Prof Elmarie Costandius is an associate professor in the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University; Dr Leslie van Rooi is the Senior Director of Social Impact and Transformation at Stellenbosch University.