Browsing by Author "Manetsi, Thabo"

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    Can intangibles be tangible? : safeguarding intangible heritage in the new South Africa : towards formulating policy for the conservation and sustainable management for living heritage
    (2007) Manetsi, Thabo; Shepherd, Nick
    This dissertation takes its lead from ongoing research associated with the process of formulating policy and developing instruments for safeguarding living heritage or intangible heritage as it is commonly known. In the absence of a national policy and management guidelines for the conservation and sustainable management of living heritage, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) has initiated a process of formulating minimum standards and guidelines for the· protection of intangible elements of heritage associated with tangible heritage resources (objects and sites). In terms of the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) of 1999, SAHRA has a mandate to manage heritage resources to which oral tradition or living heritage is attached. Being the designated head of the living heritage unit at SAHRA, I have the responsibility to ensure the proper conservation and management of living heritage. As such I have been charged with a number of key responsibilities such as formulating policy and developing management guidelines for living heritage. As part of the process toward developing policy, a major facet of this research project reviews and draws a comparative analysis of existing heritage legislation, legal instruments and best practices in the world that may be useful in the South African context. Drawing from the review and comparative study process, this dissertation also seeks to identify and define key management issues for safeguarding aspects of intangible heritage. The outcome of the literature review stimulates a critical discussion about the findings which explore the challenges and opportunities related to the strengths and weakness of existing heritage policies and management guidelines for the protection of intangible elements of heritage resources. This eventually informs the conclusion and recommendations which provides not only a summary of closing remarks but also suggests a way forward regarding appropriate measures to be adopted for safeguarding living heritage. In this way, this project takes the form of research and policy recommendations, premised on a real-world situation in which I am personally responsible for guiding national policy on the issue at stake.
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    State-prioritised heritage: governmentality, heritage management and the prioritisation of the liberation heritage in post-colonial South Africa
    (2017) Manetsi, Thabo; Shepherd, Nick
    This study seeks to examine and trace the notion of state prioritisation of heritage in relation to state intervention through political, policy and governance regimes in heritage management in South Africa. The study covers key highlights in the evolution of heritage management and developments through specific epochs and contexts such as the colonial, apartheid and post-colonial South Africa. Drawing on theories such as 'governmentality' and 'authorised heritage discourse' the study provides a perspective on the extent of state influence and dominance in the formalisation of heritage management through policy, legal instruments and governance processes. Using the National Liberation Heritage Route project in South Africa as a case study, the research illustrates the notion of state prioritisation of heritage in relation to the deployment and mobilisation of state resources (policy, legal instruments and material resources) in heritage management to support a select past as 'official' heritage of the nation state. The politics of transforming the heritage landscape in post-1994 South Africa witnessed the emergence of the idea of state prioritisation of the liberation heritage as a site for restorative justice particularly to honour and recognize the legacy of the political struggles for freedom against colonialism and apartheid. Conversely, the framing of the liberation heritage also demonstrates political uses of heritage at expedient moments to achieve political goals by the regime in power and state control. While normative approaches to heritage management tend to emphasise the disjuncture between colonial and post-colonial periods, the results of this study confirm strong ties to colonial and European influences across these categories. The findings outline the complexity of state intervention and its inherent biases that inform the governance of heritage. In this light the study contributes to ongoing research on the discourse of evaluating the global, local, and transnational dimensions of heritage management and practices, in relation to the problematics of heritage as mainly a product of state authority and political power.