UN and AU-led project to document Africa's liberation history

© Sergei Melnikov via 123RF

South Africa participated at the Ministerial Panel Discussion between South Africa and Tanzania on the Liberation Heritage Programme led by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa. The meeting was held in Dodoma, Tanzania’s seat of government over the weekend. The South African delegation included directors general from various government departments and senior government officials.

The programme is led by Tanzania as convenor of SADC Ministerial Panel Discussion on Liberation Heritage Programme.

The bilateral Ministerial Panel Discussion will be held under the theme Roads to Independence: The African Liberation Heritage – Towards an integrated SADC road map for the Africa we want. The project was endorsed by the United Nations and the African Union and has a potential to strengthen “people to people” cooperation using history and culture.

The South African chapter of the project IS called the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route as a national memory project aimed at commemorating and celebrating South Africa’s road to independence. Cabinet established an Inter-Ministerial Committee to oversee this project and provided political leadership.

The Ministerial Panel Discussion is scheduled for three days consisting of an experts meeting on the first day, a Directors General/Permanent Secretaries meeting on the second day and the Ministerial Roundtable on the third day.