The role of tourism in local debates on contested heritage : A case study of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

From the advent of democracy in South Africa, colonial and apartheid-era heritage has been a source of on-going robust debates as this nation state grapples with the question of national identity and collective remembrance. In line with the Constitution‟s aspiration for a South African society that is “united in diversity”, the democratic government has been adamant that the question of national identity must be tackled within the ambit of “reconciliation”, “social cohesion” and “nation-building”. Drawing on the case study of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, this investigation highlights the evolution of the meaning of contested heritage from the colonial period, through the apartheid era, up until the democratic dispensation. This investigation likewise looks at the post-1994 politics of heritage transformation, with a particular focus on the correlation between the public's demands and aspirations for heritage transformation, particularly among the formerly marginalised, and the pace and direction that government (and institutional bodies alike) seems to be taking in this regard. The study likewise contends with the extent to which tourism becomes a factor in the policy discussions around contested heritage management, interpretation and conservation in a democratic South Africa.