Pretoria - The establishment of the Heritage Advisory Council will help the City of Tshwane to identify, preserve, protect and promote cultural heritage, Tshwane executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said on Tuesday.
Speaking during his State of the City Address, Ramokgopa said the city was at an advanced stage of establishing an advisory council made up of 13 members with vast knowledge in the heritage terrain.
"The Heritage Council will also play a compliance and enforcement role to prevent illegal demolition and renovation or alterations of heritage structures by developers and private persons without regard to our historical past and architectural streetscape and landscapes," said Ramokgopa.
As part of efforts to preserve the city's heritage, the Solomon Mahlangu precinct in Mamelodi will be upgraded.
"We will be completing the Solomon Mahlangu precinct with a view of elevating it into a fully-fledged heritage site," said Ramokgopa.
Meanwhile, the city has welcomed the declaration of Voortrekker Monument as a national heritage site. Voortrekker Monument became the first Afrikaner monument to be declared a national heritage site since the advent of democracy.
Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile said at the time of the declaration that it was a significant milestone in building a united and diverse South Africa.
"Today marks a historical milestone in the journey to build a South African nation that is truly united in its diversity," Mashatile said.
