More than 150 volunteers from various organisations gathered on Saturday, 15 November, for the first phase of restoring the memorial site commemorating those who lost their lives in 1922 during a mining strike on the Witwatersrand.
This is the first time in nearly two decades that it is possible to fully access the site, classified as a Grade IIIA municipal/local heritage site.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is taking the lead in the restoration process, which consists of four phases.
The first phase primarily involved clearing the site to give historians a better picture of its current condition, enabling them to draw up a detailed restoration plan.
In the subsequent phases, historical and technical assessments will be conducted, and applications for the necessary permits will be submitted.
The actual restoration process, in collaboration with the FAK, can only commence once the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) has fully approved the planning.
Even though only the first phase of the restoration process has been completed, the message is clear: the community cares and residents want to preserve their heritage.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep fulfilling a leading and coordinating role to ensure that this memorial site, which honours the miners and law enforcement officers who lost their lives during that bloody strike, is restored to its former glory.
It is important to note that the Freedom Front Plus’s initiative is not expressing support for any party involved in the 1922 dispute, but is acknowledging that history matters and that those events contributed to shaping today’s political landscape.
Through its participation this past weekend, the Brakpan community demonstrated that unity, pride and service can revive forgotten heritage to preserve it for future generations.
