Browsing by Author "Roux, Naomi"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    All that glitters is not gold: authenticity and historical accuracy in representations of Mapungubwe
    (2021) Andreou, Alexander; Roux, Naomi
    The (Re)Discovery of Mapungubwe in 1933 sparked an ongoing 89-year journey of interpretation, re-interpretation, hidden agendas, scientific racism and an evolution of worldviews. In being as deeply meaningful and entrenched in the South African psyche as it is, Mapungubwe features in a variety of representations. For this thesis, a selection of these representations were made of both those considered historical and contemporary. These were discussed and unpacked in accordance with the broader research question examining if their accuracy matters. In this unpacking archaeological theory is discussed, as well as the nationalist ideologies and racial science which was attributed to it in the early 20th Century. In addition to the selection of representations, a history of the re(discovery) and discoveries of Mapungubwe is also discussed. Ultimately, it does not matter if representations of Mapungubwe are accurate or authentic, as these facets are framework dependent, and have been found to each carry their own meaning or 'truth' around the Mapungubwe story.
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    Analysis of the military hospital, Port Louis, Mauritius
    (2023) Makins, Tessa; Roux, Naomi
    Through a case study of the Military Hospital Complex in Port Louis, Mauritius, the influence of the World Heritage Program of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisiation (UNESCO), in Mauritius is analysed. The new Intercontinental Slavery Museum, a destination on the UNESCO Slave Route, is housed in the Military Hospital Complex. The museum's stated intention is to narrate the shared history of all Mauritians, regardless of their provenance. It aims to explain the role played by the island as a pivotal connection point in the Indian Ocean slave trade from the 18th Century. The Military Hospital Complex is the oldest surviving building on the island (completed 1740). It was built by the French colonists, Mauritius' first permanent inhabitants. The building has a multi-layered history as it has been integral to life on the island, through changing administrations for more than 280 years. The role of the building has adapted over its life span, reflecting the changing political and social dynamics of the country. Responding to the forces of globalisation in the 1990s the Government of Mauritius engaged with the UNESCO World Heritage Program. The focus of this analysis is on how this Government engagement with UNESCO has affected the creation of modern heritage resources within the country through this case study of the Military Hospital Complex as the Intercontinental Slavery Museum. Methods employed have been to obtain a biographical understanding of the building through archival research, site visits and relevant literature. The historical, political, social, and legislative context of the building over its life, and relating to its transformation into a modern heritage resource have been investigated through relevant literature. Theoretical frameworks of heritage construction in multi-cultural societies have been employed in guiding this research. The UNESCO World Heritage Conventions are discussed, in addition to the various UNESCO treaties, declarations and programs that cumulatively influenced the realisation of Mauritius' World Heritage Sites. The social processes within the country that led to the Truth and Justice Commission in 2010 are investigated. One of the principal recommendations of the Truth and Justice Commission of Mauritius was the creation of a new Intercontinental Slavery Museum in Port Louis. The political ramifications of Mauritius' two World Heritage Sites within the local and global contexts are discussed. The Mauritian political construct that defines the population into groups based on the places of origin of their forebears is at the heart of the way modern heritage has been constructed in the country in association with UNESCO to date. Heritage remains contested and highly politicised in the country. This study has been limited by the politically sensitive nature of heritage within the country and interviews were difficult to secure. The difficulties encountered in conducting research for this analysis has affirmed that these sensitivities prevail. Almost without exception, government officials, heritage professionals and academics were reluctant to discuss the heritage program of the country on or off the record. The researcher was denied access to the case study building. This research concludes that although the vison of Mauritius' new Intercontinental Slavery Museum (housed in the Military Hospital Complex), is comprehensive and inclusive, the political construct of the country remains an impediment to the narration of Mauritian heritage. The heritages of the different groups of people who collectively comprise the Mauritian population have, to date, been separately told. The new museum has a role to pay in narrating the role played by Mauritius within the Indian Ocean slave trade, a story that has relevance to all Mauritians regardless of their population group.
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    Changing values in heritage: shifts from the tangible to intangible in urban historic environments bo-kaap as case study
    (2021) Shem-Tov, Tamar; Roux, Naomi
    This study explores the emergence of changing values associated with heritage in postapartheid South Africa, expressed as a shift from tangible to intangible heritage values. Central to the study is an understanding of the evolutionary construction of changing values in a rooted heritage community within the urban historic environment of Bo-Kaap, the oldest residential suburb of Cape Town. Exploring changing values in Bo-Kaap, where tangible and intangible heritage intersect in the contemporary moment, showcases how heritage ably and fluidly adapts and transforms as an ever-shifting cultural process, and forges new, or altered, modes of identity construction. Bo-Kaap, as the case study, is a significant historic urban environment of Cape Town's central city with a vibrant community having cultural rootedness in place, in slave ancestral heritage, and existing living heritage deserving of protection. It is examined against a backdrop of the localised political, governance and civic agency milieu. The study follows the narrative of Bo-Kaap from its origins as a residential quarter of the early Cape colonial settlement, through the mid twentieth century when Bo-Kaap became largely fashioned and formed into an ethnically defined 'Malay' quarter, conforming to essentialised notions of race and ethnicity dominant in nationalist ideology, through the apartheid regime and the penetrating effects of Group Areas on the social and physical fabric of the area, until the present day where we are witness to a sea-change in outlook of the public on the very meaning and purpose of heritage. Heritage claims and heritage activism entered the realm of active public discourse in 2019 in response to free-market developmental pressures in Bo-Kaap, with inflections of social justice touching the edges of the heritage debate, and invited a broadening of the outermost limits of heritage discourse. Integral to this story is how heritage systems have been shaped by the past and colonial histories, new systems of governance post 1994, and a culture of intensifying identity politics. Following the arc of time illuminates the complex interrelatedness of heritage values with social, historical, and political trajectories, and aims to examine just how dynamically heritage values arise, merge and shift within the inter-relational temporal space; what activates them, who activates them, and to what end; and how they have entered into a space of heritage activism and public discourse. I suggest that this present change in discourse and the display of emerging sets of heritage values requires a highly critical reflexivity on the part of heritage structures and the profession, to look at what these changes mean for heritage praxis and governance and, more importantly, how to advance the relevance of heritage to a sector of South African society advocating for a decolonised heritage value framework.
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    Living heritage in the historic urban landscape: a case study of the Grand Parade Market
    (2020) Wilson, Wendy M; Roux, Naomi
    This study examines the long-established bi-weekly market held on Cape Town's Grand Parade to see if it constitutes living heritage. If it does, how is it connected with the urban landscape it inhabits, and how might it be acknowledged or safeguarded? Heritage practice in South Africa has long focused on the fabric of the historic built environment (not on the people using it or the uses to which it is put) with conservation methods tailored to that end. The importance of living heritage—or intangible cultural heritage—is increasingly accepted, particularly as a form of redress for the imbalance caused by the prioritisation of coloniser history. There is a growing sense of urgency, driven by those whose living heritage has been overlooked or ignored, to address this. In this study, I combine on-the-ground analysis of today's Wednesday/Saturday market drawn from interviews with traders, with a deep reading of various official and academic archives. This is interpreted through the most recent theoretical thinking regarding living heritage, together with the international charters, national laws and local policies that apply to the real world of Cape Town today. I determine that the market is, indeed, living heritage, and that it is important to recognise it is such. I argue that the heritage binary of intangible and tangible represents a false dichotomy, and that it is essential to consider heritage as a whole, with living heritage being indivisible from the urban landscape in which it exists. However, I identify the potential pitfalls that formal protection might bring to a living, dynamic system, and find that the significance values of tangible and living heritage require different actions to conserve and safeguard them. I show how, while the will to identify and acknowledge South Africa's living heritage has been expressed at the highest policy levels, the ensuing legislation, implementation policies and working practices of heritage practitioners are insufficient to deliver on this. I suggest that, to reflect this better in our management of heritage resources, a more trans-disciplinary approach is needed, one with processes and methodologies that accommodate diversity in the interpretation of cultural value and emphasise stakeholder involvement.
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    Understanding the relationships between tourism, and heritage conservation at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
    (2023) Mokobane, Mack Michael; Roux, Naomi
    The aim of this thesis is to investigate Jetty 1 Museum, a heritage site at the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront, in order to understand how it is shaped by tourism and heritage imperatives and to discover how they interact against the backdrop of commercial waterfront development and the City of Cape Town's vision. Jetty 1 Museum holds immense cultural, historical, and social significance, serving as a repository of collective memory and a symbol of past struggles. Tourism is increasingly recognized as a dominant economic sector in South Africa. However, the rise of tourism at V&A Waterfront has introduced new dynamics and challenges. The influx of tourists could potentially threaten the very heritage aspects that make these sites valuable, through wear and tear, overcrowding, and the commodification of cultural narratives. According to Rahman (2012), even though the development and exploitation of cultural sites for tourism can be advantageous, visiting cultural sites can also harm cultural heritage. I was guided by Rahman's argument and wished to see if it was applicable to the Jetty 1 site at the V&A Waterfront. This thesis employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative interviews with heritage managers responsible for the preservation of Jetty 1 Museum, as well as an analysis of relevant secondary sources. The need to continuously balance waterfront tourism and heritage conservation has been well established and documented internationally. However, in South Africa, that balance has not yet been well established, and to date, there have been very few studies focusing on establishing the balance between waterfront tourism and heritage conservation approaches. This thesis will address issues regarding waterfront development, heritage conservation and management, tourism, sustainability, and gentrification. This thesis establishes that striking a balance between commercial viability and cultural authenticity remains a persistent challenge, necessitating thoughtful strategies and collaboration between stakeholders, including museums, tourism bodies, heritage organizations, and local governments like the City of Cape Town. Only through such harmonious coordination can museums effectively contribute to both the economic and cultural vibrancy of their surroundings.
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    What is the impact of World Heritage status and related positioning for a tourist audience on Robben Island's meanings and public narratives?
    (2022) Ngewu, Mandla; Roux, Naomi
    The advent of democracy brought about changes in the cultural heritage landscape. Cultural heritage used to be a preserve of the rich and experts. Heritage of places is not found lying around for it to be discovered, but it is continually reproduced to suit the needs of that particular society. Reproduction of heritage is due to it being amenable to be used and reused to suit the needs of that grouping. Cultural heritage in South Africa offers is used as an economic tool as it offers easy access for participants to the cultural tourism industry. The capital outlay is usually minimal. Politicians also use cultural heritage to create new identities. In South Africa, during the early stages of democracy, heritage was used to promote national reconciliation and nation-building. Robben Island was used as a flagship institution to open up the cultural heritage space and give voice to those previously denied access or whose heritage was distorted or misrepresented. Robben Island, a place of atrocity stemming from the colonial period, was seen as a beacon of hope and promoted as a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. The site's positioning as an economic tool and fostering notions of national unity invariably leads to selecting a layer that will resonate with the nationalist ideals. The exploratory study uses interviews with tour guides and heritage experts to examine the message told to visitors. The results obtained are contrasted with the national legislation, the site's conservation management plans, and UNESCO's requirements for listed sites. At an international level, UNESCO is concerned with preserving the outstanding universal value of sites. The preservation of the heritage at a local level is done through national legislation.