By Yondi Mahlangeni
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, together with the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), has emphasised the importance of protecting South Africa’s heritage within the built environment.
The department hosted a heritage event on Saturday under the theme “Heritage in the Built Environment: Building Livelihoods and Strong Communities” at the Liberty Hall Building in Avoca, north of Durban.
The event aimed to explore how heritage can strengthen communities, create livelihoods and protect important buildings and sites for future generations.
“Heritage is something that is living and it’s important to celebrate with diverse communities and be able to remind and be grateful for what we have and build on it for the future generations to experience,” Macpherson said.
During the event, Council for the Built Environment chief executive officer (CEO) Msizi Myeza said restoration goes beyond renovating old buildings.
“Restoration is not only about renovations, it’s about restoring the building and ensuring that what we see now, future generations can experience the same architecture and the same future,” Myeza said.
“That is why it is important to maintain and not destroy what was in the past,” he added.
Myeza said heritage should also be reflected in the infrastructure created by built environment professionals.
He said public spaces, buildings and other structures should reflect the culture and identity of the communities they serve, while development should honour the past and create meaningful spaces for future generations.
“Heritage is not about beads but is about how we create infrastructure that resembles our society. What we build must be a reflection of the society, like the rondavel and amaqhugwane, as part of what we do as professionals,” Myeza said.
The event brought together stakeholders to discuss the importance of heritage in the built environment and its role in strengthening communities across South Africa.
