The article investigates the cultural and industrial history of the Tswaing salt works which were
established and operated for a period of 50 years at the Tswaing (seTswana for ‘place of salt’)
meteorite crater 40km north of the Pretoria CBD. After the 1960s the industrial activities ceased and
the site was abandoned, leading to decay and vandalism of the remaining buildings. Whereas the
meteorite crater as a natural phenomenon remains a tourist attraction, the socio-cultural heritage of
the industrial ruins has been neglected and the question is put whether these industrial ruins warrant
commemoration in some way or another. The argument is made that to commemorate the Tswaing
crater, commemorating the Tswaing salt works’ industrial ruined remains becomes a necessary
complementary approach. Various memorialisation options are explored and illustrated with case
studies; ranging from demolishing any remains of the industrial ruins and perhaps allowing only
a palimpsest, to leaving the ruin to further decay, to a range of conservation interventions and to
a restoration, alteration and re-use option. The potential value of partly restored, conserved or reused
industrial ruins is discussed, i.e. ruins as nature reserves, heterotopias, tourist destinations,
museums or places of recreation. The commemoration of these ruins however remains a disputed
issue, with opinions ranging from removing all traces of industrial activities from the site of this
natural phenomenon to recognising the importance of the socio-cultural influences on the natural
environment and to allocating new values and uses to the now abandoned human activities, thus
allowing the complete narrative.
Die artikel ondersoek die kulturele en industriële geskiedenis van die Tswaing soutwerke wat gevestig
en bedryf was oor ʼn 50 jaar tydperk by die Tswaing (seTswana vir ‘plek van sout’) meteorietkrater
40km noord van die Pretoria SSG. Na die 1960s is die industriële bedrywighede gestaak en die
terrein is verlate gelaat wat tot verval en vandalisme van die oorblywende geboue gelei het. Waar
die meteorietkrater as ʼn natuurlike fenomeen steeds ʼn toeriste-aantreklikheid bly, is die sosiokulturele
erfenis verwaarloos en die vraag word gevra of hierdie ruïnes herdenking in een of die
ander vorm regverdig. Die argument word gevoer dat om die Tswaing meteorietkrater te herdenk,
die herdenking van die soutwerke ʼn noodsaaklike komplementerende benadering word. Verskeie
herdenkingsmoontlikhede word ondersoek en met voorbeelde illustreer; wat strek van die sloping
van alle oorblywende ruïnes en moontlik slegs die behoud van ’n palimpses, tot die los van die ruïnes
om verder te verval, tot ʼn reeks van bewaringsingrypings en tot die restourasie, verandering en
hergebruikopsie. Die potensiële waarde van deels restoureerde, bewaarde of hergebruikte industriële
ruïnes word bespreek, insluitend ruïnes as natuurbewareas, heterotopias, toeristebestemmings,
museums of plekke van ontspanning. Die herdenking van die ruïnes bly egter ʼn omstrede saak, met
opinies wat strek van die verwydering van alle spore van industriële aktiwiteite van die terrein van
hierdie natuurlike fenomeen tot die erkenning van die belangrikheid van die sosio-kulturele invloede
op die natuurlike omgewing en tot die toedeling van nuwe waardes en gebruike aan die tans verlate
menslike aktiwiteite, om daardeur die volledige verhaal toe te laat.
