Alex Heritage Centre nears completion amid concerns
ALEXANDRA - The Alex Heritage Centre on 7th Avenue which has not been completed for years raising concerns of impropriety in its development is nearing completion scheduled for September 2015.
The Alex Heritage Centre on 7th Avenue, Alexandra, which remained unfinished for years and raised concerns of impropriety in its development, is now nearing completion.
Although scheduled for September, there are still concerns about the project from some stakeholders who fear residents will not have contributed to the centre’s purpose of telling the story of Joburg’s oldest township based on their intergenerational experiences.
Thabo Mopasi, a social commentator and member of the Alex Heritage Centre’s advisory team, said they submitted a proposal to the Joburg Development Agency (JDA) which manages the work. “This was after the only residents’ input was through manual labour. The proposal sought to have them contribute substantially as the centre’s custodians through drafts of conceptual and narrative frameworks, practical skills and materials for exhibition. We wanted this to happen concurrently with the development of the structure,” Mopasi said.
He added that this was to ensure the story to be told would be inclusive of the township’s vibrancy, unique history, urban development processes, threats and survival strategies, and political, economic, religious and cultural diversity. “This needs to be told in an uncensored way in order to counter negative perceptions peddled by outsiders unaware of the township’s complexities and nuances. This would be through oral history, documentation, literature and newspaper reviews and photographic recordings which are in the team’s and residents’ possession,” said Mopasi.
He added that they were struggling to get the attention of the JDA on this matter and wondered where and how the information would be sourced and how Alex people would be made to feel part of the project. “This is despite the project sponsor, the Department of Arts and Culture, stressing the importance of residents’ input into a project of significant educational and historical importance to residents and national and international tourism.”
The JDA’s Susan Monyai said a project steering committee of consultants, JDA staff and the Alex Heritage Centre advisory committee was overseeing the centre’s development.
“They have structured meetings and will meet next week in the presence of the Department of Tourism and the Department of Arts and Culture,” said Monyai.
Monyai said this platform enabled consultation and input by critical stakeholders and if a proposal was submitted to the JDA, it would receive consideration. She added that public meetings were conducted occasionally to ensure residents were kept abreast of developments.
Details: Thabo Mopasi 079 063 2069; Joburg Development Agency 011 688 7800.
