Culture and Heritage
Tiyo Soga Memorial Lecture
The HSRP Executive Director was invited to deliver the
Tiyo Soga Memorial Lecture at Lovedale College, his
alma mater, in September 2012 – National Heritage
Month. The title of the address was “Historic schools:
Bedrock of our heritage; challenge of the present; and
beacons of hope for the future.”
In his lecture, Archbishop Ndungane made reference to
the value of history: “As someone who loves to read and
hear accounts of our mothers and fathers of yesteryear,
as well as explore the places which gave them life, I agree
with the views of the great Renaissance historian and
philosopher, Machiavelli, “Whoever wishes to foresee
the future must consult the past; for human events ever
resemble those of preceding times. This arises from
the fact that they are produced by men who ever have
been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions,
and thus they necessarily have the same results.”
He also quoted from Professor André Odendaal’s latest
book, The Founders: “The early intellectuals and activists
were political innovators, responding in courageous
ways to the challenges of their times… The actions and
aspirations of the first generations, shaped by their time
and place, were realistic, often insightful and forwardlooking…
we must recognise them as pathbreakers
in their day. They provided the base from which the
twentieth-century ‘struggle’ was launched, and their
ethos, ideas and actions continued to inform the national
movement in important ways in the changing contexts
and phases of struggle throughout the century.”
What can we do to collect and celebrate the stories
that have been forgotten by some, or not yet recorded?
– What can we do to ensure that this important area
of our history does not get lost? – And, how do we
raise awareness amongst learners at historic schools
to reclaim the memory and heritage of the sites that
include their school buildings?
The HSRP, although not an academic institution, has a
responsibility to share the wealth of historical, cultural
and educational information it has collected since
its inception. Ideally, the delivery of the Tiyo Soga
Memorial Lecture and the overwhelming response
thereto created an emerging opportunity for the HSRP
to research and publish work in this area of knowledge.
Subsequently the first project the HSRP undertook
was specifically aimed at the historic schools’ Grade 12
learners – an essay writing competition.
Grade 12 Essay Competition
The purpose of the competition was to obtain a
collection of essays from learners at historic schools, to
publish the winning essay in an anthology of historical
narratives by accomplished South African writers, and
to award prizes to the writers of the three best essays.
In addition, the following objectives were identified as
relevant to the learners:
- To develop an interest in the history of their schools.
- To instil an enjoyment for feature-writing and storytelling.
- To create a competitive atmosphere.
- To recognise creative talent and skills development
at schools.
The closing date for entries was 19th July 2013. The
essays were thoroughly researched and ably articulated
and these young narrative inquirers constructed
conversations between the history and the stories of life
at their school. They provided insightful accounts which
go beyond the past and present.
The judges of the competition entries are Dr Sindiwe
Magona, Professor Andre Odendaal and Archbishop
Njongo Ndungane. The winners will be announced
on 20th September 2013 and awarded their prizes of
bursaries to the value of R10,000, R5,000 and R3,000
respectively.
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