Voortrekker Monument to declare national heritage

In a gesture of reconciliation, the Voortrekker Monument in the South African administrative capital of Pretoria, is to be declared a national heritage site, South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Monday. As part of national building and reconciliation, the government will next month declare the Voortrekker Monument a national heritage site, said Dlamini-Zuma. She said the gesture is intended to "further evoke a spirit of nation-building and reconciliation." In her announcement, Dlamini-Zuma also mentioned a number of other South Africa monuments and memorials that will be constructed or unveiled to "celebrate our heroes and heroines who led the liberation struggle." The homes of some well-known struggle veterans will be revamped, such as Oliver Tambo, longest-serving president of the ruling African National Congress, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, ex-wife of South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela. The minister said Madikizela-Mandela's home in the Free State, where she was placed under house arrest for many years, will be restored as an important historic site. South African Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile said it will be a great national project, which will not only help highlight the country's history but will help boost local economies and make arts a serious economic player.