Activist irked by schools shunning heritage site
ALEXANDRA – Mopasi urges for haste in 'official' opening of heritage centre.
A social activist expressed mixed feelings on the delay of the official opening of the Alex Heritage Centre.
Although open for public viewing as reported in Alex News in the article Alex heritage unfolds, Week ending 16 November, the official opening will be sometime next year. Thabo Mopasi, who has intimate knowledge of its conceptualisation and development, attributed the delay to incomplete work which he said is stopping the issuing of a certificate of completion which will be given after all liability issues are dealt with in the interest of the public.
“We look forward to the safety of tourists who will come in and inject resources to the local economy through the facility but after everything is completed to the dot,” Mopasi said.
“The lifts have to be functional to ensure safe access of the facility by the disabled, all paintwork should be completed, phones and the internet should be connected, all paintwork should be finished, grills should be covered to protect high heeled visitors, the structure should be protected against birds soiling the displays and, some contractors are still to be paid.”
He continued, “The national Department of Tourism is still to assess and verify expenditure against the allocated budget, ensure appropriate insurance cover also protects the creative work of artists on display and, to ascertain budget allocation for maintenance and ancillary costs.”
Mopasi anticipates aggressive marketing thereafter to attract visitors to the facility. He expressed frustration with, particularly locals schools’ poor reaction to the ‘soft’ opening. “There has been no enthusiasm except for only, pupils from St Mary’s Secondary School who now know more about the township’s history than local children.”
He expects spin-offs from the centre through jobs and income-generating initiatives and from another information and interpretation centre for the graves of stalwarts and victims with historical significance who are buried at the Marlboro and East Bank cemeteries. “Infrastructure plans have been developed for the facility which will also help to control access and safeguard them from vandals.”
He said the site is on uncontested land and the infrastructure will have two stories. It will contain histories of the deceased dating back to 1911, exhibitions of pertinent artefacts on African burial methods, encourage those wanting to lay wreaths on some of the graves to do with background knowledge of the deceased, including memorial chambers for meditation and inspire interest in the interface of the living and the spirit of the deceased. “This will hopefully help to revive respect in our cultural practices and graves in general.”
Mopasi said they will also lobby for more blue plaques on other historical sites as part of the township’s heritage preservation in addition to the 32 already with the plaques.
