The aim of the tour is to educate the children about the rich heritage of the Province.
Benida Phillips
Staff Reporter
FIFTEEN children from the Northern Cape, seven of whom are from the Deurbraak vir Jesus Missionary in Keimoes, will be educated about the different cultures and heritage of the Province when they embark on an Indigenous and Heritage tour.
The tour is hosted by the provincial Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, as part of commemorating National Heritage Day.
Department spokesperson Conrad Fortune said the children will visit various heritage sites in the Northern Cape and pay a visit to the Province’s Living Human Treasure, Ouma Katrina Esau.
“Ouma Katrina Esau was bestowed with the honour as a Living Human Treasure by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, on September 7, 2020. The Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, also acknowledged the important and significant role Ouma Katrina is playing with regards to the development and preservation of the N!uu language in the Northern Cape. The premier has also committed the support of the provincial government to ensure that we improve the living conditions of Ouma Katrina, as well as ensuring that we provide the necessary assistance to the school that she is operating, where about 40 learners are being taught the N!uu language,” said Fortune.
He said that the aim of the tour is to educate the children about the rich heritage of the Province.
“As part of the celebrations, the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Desery Fienies, will be embarking on a Heritage and indigenous tour with 15 children, where they will be visiting the Upington 26 monument in Upington. This monument was erected on the field in Paballelo township where about 3 000 anti-apartheid protesters were tear-gassed by riot police in 1985. A municipal policeman living nearby was killed in the ensuing chaos. The Upington 26 went on trial for participating in what was controversially deemed to be a crowd killing, under the doctrine of common purpose. Twenty-five were found guilty of the constable’s murder, with 14 of them sentenced to death, and one was convicted of attempted murder. The case sparked an international outcry, and the death sentences were later overturned, with most serving prison terms and subsequently being released as political prisoners,” said Fortune.
“The group will also visit Date Palm Avenue, which is the attractive entrance to Die Eiland Resort, as well as Riemvasmaak, a little town bordering Kakamas and the Augrabies National Park.
“The tour is conducted with the aim to not only expose the children to the richness of our indigenous heritage but also promote cultural appropriateness and enhance social cohesion.”
One of the children from the missionary said she is very excited to have been elected to form part of the tour.
“I am very excited and looking forward to the tour. I cannot wait to spend time with the other children and also learn about the history and heritage of the country. I have never been to some sites and it will be interesting to learn about how they came into existence,” she said.
