Memory and Identity in South Africa: Contradictions and Ambiguities in the Process of Post-apartheid Memorialization

Abstract

The article explores commemorative markers as containers of intangible heritage in post-apartheid South Africa, with special reference to the case study of the Duncan Village Massacre memorial that was unveiled in 2008 in the Buffalo City Municipality (Eastern Cape) in memory of the victims of the so-called Duncan Village Massacre of August 1985. This event is an example of many similar cases of apartheid-era township violence, where state security forces shot and killed members of a protesting community crowd; and the memorial is an example of many similar commemorative markers that have been installed under the aegis of the national post-apartheid government since 1994. After considering the historical background of the Duncan Village Massacre and the significance of the way in which it is now being commemorated, the article traces the process of the memorial's production, installation and public reception, considering in particular the issue of community consultation and the role of heritage in development. It is argued that the memorial is not only a symbol of anti-apartheid resistance, as intended, but also a symbol of the contradictions that characterize the post-apartheid nation; which raises serious questions about the preservation of cultural heritage and the trans-generational transfer of memory and oral history in a specific African context.