Grahamstown needs to look at what our heritage is in order to preserve it, says the newly appointed deputy chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA), Pierre Ranchod.
Grahamstown needs to look at what our heritage is in order to preserve it, says the newly appointed deputy chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA), Pierre Ranchod.
He was speaking to Grocott’s Mail about his vision and duties in his new job, saying that “our heritage encompasses all cultures” so it is certainly worth preserving.
Ranchod is one of the newly appointed ECPHRA council members who are tasked with giving guidance in issues of heritage, cultural sites and artefacts and the maintaining and regulating of buildings.
“We need to think out of the box. My aim is to look at what heritage is all about and look at all cultures. It is very important that we do not preserve one form of heritage and neglect others.
There is a need to preserve heritage buildings, not only the existing colonial buildings but the shacks and traditional dwellings that we have in order to show our children how we lived,” he says.
When asked whether there were restrictions on skyscrapers in Grahams-town, he said: “There is a bylaw that states that buildings should not be more than three storeys high.
However, we need to relook at the law and any changes will have to be maintained according to the parameters of SAHRA (South African Heritage Resources Agency).”
He added: “We should not be confined to one culture when it comes to preserving heritage. The transformation should be done tastefully. We need to put our footprint in our own heritage and mix different cultures.”
