Cultural expert explains significance of heritage

South Africa is a melting pot of different cultures and will on Heritage Day, Sunday September 24, celebrate the diversity of our traditions, cultures and beliefs.

Explaining the significance of heritage, cultural expert and Head of African Languages and Linguistics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Dr Gugu Mazibuko, said it is often defined as our legacy, what we live with in the present and what we pass on to future generations to learn from, to marvel at and to enjoy.

“There are two heritage categories - tangible and intangible. Tangible heritage is something real, able to be touched or experienced and mainly physical artefacts from preceding cultures and civilisations - in most cases architectural or art work. In some parts of South Africa tangible heritage is evident in natural geological formation adapted by previous societies,” she said.

“It can also be stored and physically touched - such items include traditional clothing, utensils, beadwork, water vessels, traditional weapons, homesteads and even graves.”

Dr Mazibuko added that tangible heritage includes significant mountains, buildings, temples, pyramids and public monuments.

She said living heritage or intangible heritage is neither monumental nor natural but represents part of a nation’s identity - the intangible aspects of inherited culture. It is transmitted from generation to generation and constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their historical conditions of existence.

“It provides people with a sense of identity and continuity and its safeguarding promotes, sustains and develops cultural diversity and human creativity. Intangible heritage exists intellectually in culture and is not a physical or tangible item. It includes oral tradition and expression in different forms,” said Dr Mazibuko.

“Zulu people in previous years gathered their children around the fire at night to tell them stories about language, values, history, religion and legends. Another intangible heritage example is amahubo - songs sung during ceremonies staged by nations.”

Charms, prayers, chants, songs and music are all part of intangible heritage, with music being common to most cultures during celebrations, she said.

Music is also used by people during sad or joyful occasions, such as at weddings, funerals, rituals and initiations. Many of the performing arts today are threatened by cultural practices being standardised or abandoned, she said.

“Heritage needs protection because it enriches people’s lives. It often provides a deep and inspirational sense of connection to community and heritage resources, to the past and to lived experiences. Most important, living heritage represents knowledge and information sustained through memory and transmitted orally or by practice from one generation to the next. This means by its nature it is a fragile resource often vulnerable and susceptible to dissipation if not adequately managed in a way consistent with its cultural value, essence and conservation needs. There is an urgent need to prevent further losses, as heritage is irreplaceable, non-renewable, thus the need to conserve it for posterity is extremely important,” said Dr Mazibuko.

She said people often question why resources should be used to preserve the past when they should rather provide for present day needs. Why should we want to preserve monuments and sites that often reflect colonial history when we are trying to construct a post-colonial country? She said some would support arguments for a fresh start while others say preserving and remembering the past will help us build a stronger future.

“By protecting heritage sites, we can affirm and celebrate these cultures and their achievements as well as deepen our understanding of our society. Heritage sites that represent the period of colonialism and apartheid also represent our past and have shaped our identity as well. Heritage is part of our identity,” said Dr Mazibuko.