A National Heritage Trust for South Africa ?
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This beautiful mission station church is relatively close to Cape Town. It was completed by Moravian
missionaries, at a time when slavery was rife throughout our country, three years after the fall of Napoleon in
Europe. Surrounded by delightful contemporary buildings, which create a unique ambience,  it gives one the
feeling of walking 200 years back in time, long before Kimberley's Big Hole was created or Pilgrims Rest
established.

Can you even guess where it is ?  (see case study 2)

What is the answer ?
Much of our new environmental and heritage legislation is inspired. For the first time we have a chance to conserve our natural and cultural ‘living heritage’ in such a way that it could be possible to establish ‘Heritage Tourism’ in a significant way, which will not only help build our important tourism industry, but will also help conserve our heritage.

Sect 42 of the new National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) allows for “Heritage Agreements” which could be the main tool to empower a national heritage umbrella body. In other words, with such agreements, a National Heritage Trust, would work with communities and heritage authorities to promote and facilitate heritage conservation projects throughout the country on behalf of the people of South Africa. Whilst we see Heritage Societies being the initial participants, at a relatively early stage, general membership will be extended to all who wish to subscribe. This would not only include South African residents but also overseas visitors who may wish to support the Trust and its activities. It is envisaged that 'members' will get special concessions but all sites would be open to the general public, in most cases for an modest but appropriate entry fee.

Case Study 2

The  Mamre Mission Station.

This row of cottages (left) is alongside the Mamre Mission Station (above top). Visitors are likely to see a horse as well as cows wandering around the street and you will be captivated by the way time seems to have passed it by. It is obvious that the heritage authorities have been very supportive and that a lot of work has gone into the upkeep of the mission station, but is a sustainable business plan in place and who will manage and market it to visitors?

Whilst the Mamre buildings look superficially good, it is easy to find some that are approaching total collapse. It would be a tragedy if they were lost but how can they be saved ?

A sustainable business plan which can support sites must have 'critical mass'; that is it should have a sufficiently extensive group of attractions within a small area to create a tourism destination where people will remain for the better part of a day, or even more, and not just look around and drive on.  Craft and tea shops could help to support such a site and a sympathetically designed abutting visitor centre, where parking and toilets can be arranged, would be a great advantage.

This old water mill is one of very few which could be restored. Similar in many ways to the Josephine Mill in Newlands (Carefully restored by the Cape Town Historical Society) it could also be put back into working order. A working mill would be a wonderful 'Living Museum' attraction and freshly ground flour could be sold to support the business plan. It may even be possible to bake fresh bread in a traditional oven of the day and maybe 'scones' could be sold in a tea shop.
Mamre is not on the tourist map but it could be, and many jobs could be created in an impoverished community which desperately needs employment opportunities. Mamre could delight tourists from overseas but it needs a viable business and marketing plan for it to be sustained. A National Heritage Trust could be the answer.

Mamre also has a river running next to the Mission and there are wonderful areas which could in the long term be transformed into a magnificent wild flower and succulent garden. There are also stunning rock formations which could lend themselves to the creation of a natural amphitheatre where activities could take place.

However, all the ideas in the world are worthless if they never come to fruition. The fascinating landscape near the mill (picture left ) looks wonderful but does not stand close scrutiny - it is covered in broken glass bottles and ingrained debris. A new community-wide culture needs to be encouraged if a plan  is to work. Youth out-reach is an area on which the British National Trust has placed great importance and a South African Trust must eventually have the capacity to do the same.

An example of an overseas National Heritage Trust.
The British National Trust is over 100 years old, possibly the oldest in existence. It has an enormous membership of British and overseas members. It is the largest private landowner in the UK, caring for over 244,000 hectares and 925 km of coastline. Its properties include 156 major historic houses, 19 castles and 276 gardens, deer and landscape parks, which are all open to the public. The Trust employs over 3000 permanent staff, 4000+ seasonal staff and has over 38000 volunteers. Virtually all buildings and properties are open to the general public. Though government has been highly supportive, importantly the Trust has developed into a self sustaining entity and does not receive direct Government funding.  England's National Trust spends R1.6 Billion each year on conservation at no cost to the government.

How could a similar body help to build South Africa’s economy?

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