Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Leanne De Jager MPL.
The Women’s Living Heritage Monument in Tshwane still stands mostly unused, despite repeated promises from the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation to make this important site fully operational. This monument, which should be serving the people of Tshwane and the wider province, continues to fall short of its intended purpose.
This was discovered during a recent oversight visit by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at the Women’s Living Heritage Monument to assess the progress on commitments made by officials and the contractor in September 2024 during the NCOP visit and in October 2024 when the DA assessed the monument.
Upon arrival, the DA was again denied access at the entrance. The premises were secured with fencing, and signs indicating that individuals needed to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to enter, even though there was no visible construction activity on the site. A construction worker from Getsene Construction informed the DA that a monthly report had been submitted to the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure (DID). However, he could not confirm when the monument might open and only stated that it would occur “sometime this year.”
See photos here, here, and here.
This is unacceptable, taking into consideration the long delays in opening this monument and the excess of R280 million already spent, since the initial building works, not to mention the expected additional R12 million costs per year.
The DA has tabled questions to the MEC for SACR, Matome Chiloane, to determine when the monument will become fully operational and has yet to receive a response.
It is unfortunate that Mrs. Sophie de Bruyn, the last living icon to whom this monument is dedicated, is now aged and still denied the opportunity to visit this site. Meanwhile, a statue in her honour stands at the entrance of the building.
The DA will submit a motion at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) regarding the poor condition of Gauteng’s monuments and heritage sites. We will advocate for these silent monuments to be transformed into vibrant centres of cultural and economic activity, ensuring that all citizens of Gauteng can experience the tangible benefits they offer.