5 - Housing Cape Town’s Forgotten Dead: Conflict in the Post-apartheid Public Sphere
Corresponding Author(s) : Noëleen Murray
Africa Development,
Vol. 35 No. 4 (2010): Africa Development
Abstract
On 28 May 2008, the Cape Town Partnership Company Executive Officers’s newsletter reported on an ‘Interfaith ceremony at Prestwich Place [sic]’ to ‘consecrate’ a new ossuary building recently completed in Cape Town’s central business district. The announcement placed the Ossuary alongside other Partnership initiates and events such as the Harvest Festival, the Creative Cape Town initiative, and the upgrading of the Cape Town Station and the Grand Parade managed through the Partnership and the City Improvement District. The building of the Ossuary is intended to memorialise and bring closure to the contestations over the re-emergence of burial spaces in the city that have taken place in Cape Town since 2004. Presented as a successful ‘partnership’ between the Prestwich Place Project Committee, the City of Cape Town, the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the District Six Museum and Heritage Western Cape, this symbolic act of closure has been hailed a breakthrough in terms of heritage practice by practitioners and city officials alike. In this paper we visit the space of the Ossuary and its associated exhibition in the city, and reflect on the relationship between life space and burial space in Cape Town. Following the official path of the exhibition we pause to attach our own notes – a series of fragmentary interventions which trouble the smooth surface of containme t. We use the experience of walking to reflect on the architecture of closure.
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- Bryant, G., 2004, ‘Projecting Modern Culture: “Aesthetic Fundamentalism” and Modern Architecture’ in M. Hvattum and C. Hermansen, eds Tracing Modernity,Manifestations of the Modern in Architecture and the City, London: Routledge, pp. 68-80.
- Bailey, C., 2005, ‘Memory of City Slaves Honoured at Service’, in Cape Argus, 28 April 2005.
- Baudrillard, J., 2005 [1968], The System of Objects, London: Verso.
- Fraser, N., 1990. ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy’ in Social Text No. 25/26, pp.56-80.
- Gosling, M., 2005, ‘Prestwich Skeletons to be Reburied, But No Research Allowed – Who They Were will Never be Known’ in Cape Times, Monday, 14 Nov 2005, p.6.
- Green, L. and Murray, N., 2004/5, ‘Life Space and Burial Space in the Post- apartheid City”, in Green, L. and Murray, N. (Guest Editors) Journal for Islamic Studies Vols 24 and 25 Burial Grounds: Sacred Sites and Heritage in Post- Apartheid Cape Town, pp. 4-16.
- Hall, M., 2009, ‘New Knowledge and the University’ Anthropology Southern Africa, 32 ( (1&2) FORUM, PP 69-76.
- Henri, Y. and Grunebaum, H., 2004, ‘Re-historicising Trauma: Reflections on Violence and Memory in Current-day Cape Town’, unpublished paper.
- Jonker, J., 2005, ‘The Silence of the Dead: Ethical and Juridical Significances of the Exhumations at Prestwich Place, Cape Town, 2003-2005’, M.Phil. Thesis, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town.
- Lefebvre, H., 1996, Writings on Cities, (trans). Kofman, E, ed., Lebas, E., Oxford: Blackwell.
- Lefebvre, H., 1991, (trans) Nicholson-Smith, D. The Production of Space, Oxford: Blackwell.
- Legassick, M, and Rassool, C., 2000, Skeletons in the Cupboard: South African Museums and the Trade in Human Remains, 1907-1917, South African Museum, Kimberley McGregor Museum.
- Le Grange, L., 2007, Architect’s Perspective, Exhibition Panel Text Installation at Prestwich Memorial, Green Point, Cape Town.
- Malan, A., 2003, Prestwich Place: Exhumation of Accidentally Discovered Burial Ground in Green Point Cape Town [Permit no 80/03/06/001/51].
- Malan, A., 2004/5, ‘Contested Sites: Negotiating New Heritage Practice in Cape Town’ in Journal for Islamic Studies, Vols 24 and 25, pp.17-54.
- Meersman, B., 2011, ‘Coffee give the spirits a lift’ in The Mail and Guardian, Friday, April 15 to 20, p.13.
- Murray, N., Shepherd, N., Hall, M., 2007, Desire Lines, Space, Memory and Identity in the Post-apartheid City, London: Routledge, ArchiText Series.
- Murray, N., 2007, ‘Remaking Modernism; South African Architecture in and Out of Time’, in N. Murray et al., pp. 59-85.
- Murray, N., 2006, ‘Reframing the “Contemporary”, Architecture and the Postcolony’ in T.Deckler, A.Graupner and H.Rasmuss, eds. Contemporary Architecture in a Landscape of Transition, Cape Town: Double Storey, pp. 4–8.
- Murray, N., 2004/5, ‘Cape Town’s Tana Baru Burial Ground: Wasteland or Prime Property?’ Journal for Islamic Studies, Vols 24 and 25, pp. 55-77.
- Mustapha, A.R., 2008, ‘The Public Sphere in 21st Century Africa: Broadeing the Horizons of Democratization, Paper presented at Codesria 12th General Assembly, Yaounde, Cameroun, 7-11 December.
- Orange Kloof City Improvement District (CID), 2008, ‘Prestwich Remains Blessed and Laid to Rest at Prestwich Memorial in Green Point’, Publicity Material, Sunday, 18 May 2008.
- Parnell, S., 2007, ‘Urban Governance in the South: The Politics of Rights and Development’ in K. Cox, M.Louw, J.Robinson, eds, A Handbook of Political Geography, London: Sage.
- Shepherd, N., Ernsten, C., 2007, ‘The World Below:Post-apartheid Urban Imaginaries and the Bones of the Prestwich Street Dead’ in N. Murray et al., 2007, pp. 215-232.
- Shepherd, N., 2007, ‘Archaeology Dreaming: Post-apartheid Urban Imaginaries and the Bones of the Prestwich Street Dead’, Journal of Social Archaeology, Vol.7 No. 1, pp. 5-30.
- Soudien, C., 2008, ‘Memory in the Remaking of Cape Town’ in B. Bennett, C. Julius and C. Soudien, eds, City. Site. Museum. Reviewing memory practices at the District Six Museu, Cape Town: District Six Museum.
- Staff Reporter, 2005, ‘Memorial Park for Prestwich Bones’ in Cape Argus, Monday, 14 November 2005, p. 5.
- Tayob, A, 2004/05, ‘Muslim Public Claiming Heritage in Post-Apartheid Cape Town’, in Journal for Islamic Studies, Special Edition: Burial Grounds: Sacred Sites and Heritage in Post-Apartheid Cape Town, Vols 24 & 25, pp. 78-104.
- TRUTH Coffecult, http://www.truthcoffee.com/ (last accessed 26 June 2011). Weeder, M.I., 2006, ‘The Palaces of Memory: A Reconstruction of District One,
- Cape Town before and after the group areas act’,. MA in Public and Visual Culture, Department of History, University of the Western Cape (UWC).
References
Bryant, G., 2004, ‘Projecting Modern Culture: “Aesthetic Fundamentalism” and Modern Architecture’ in M. Hvattum and C. Hermansen, eds Tracing Modernity,Manifestations of the Modern in Architecture and the City, London: Routledge, pp. 68-80.
Bailey, C., 2005, ‘Memory of City Slaves Honoured at Service’, in Cape Argus, 28 April 2005.
Baudrillard, J., 2005 [1968], The System of Objects, London: Verso.
Fraser, N., 1990. ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy’ in Social Text No. 25/26, pp.56-80.
Gosling, M., 2005, ‘Prestwich Skeletons to be Reburied, But No Research Allowed – Who They Were will Never be Known’ in Cape Times, Monday, 14 Nov 2005, p.6.
Green, L. and Murray, N., 2004/5, ‘Life Space and Burial Space in the Post- apartheid City”, in Green, L. and Murray, N. (Guest Editors) Journal for Islamic Studies Vols 24 and 25 Burial Grounds: Sacred Sites and Heritage in Post- Apartheid Cape Town, pp. 4-16.
Hall, M., 2009, ‘New Knowledge and the University’ Anthropology Southern Africa, 32 ( (1&2) FORUM, PP 69-76.
Henri, Y. and Grunebaum, H., 2004, ‘Re-historicising Trauma: Reflections on Violence and Memory in Current-day Cape Town’, unpublished paper.
Jonker, J., 2005, ‘The Silence of the Dead: Ethical and Juridical Significances of the Exhumations at Prestwich Place, Cape Town, 2003-2005’, M.Phil. Thesis, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town.
Lefebvre, H., 1996, Writings on Cities, (trans). Kofman, E, ed., Lebas, E., Oxford: Blackwell.
Lefebvre, H., 1991, (trans) Nicholson-Smith, D. The Production of Space, Oxford: Blackwell.
Legassick, M, and Rassool, C., 2000, Skeletons in the Cupboard: South African Museums and the Trade in Human Remains, 1907-1917, South African Museum, Kimberley McGregor Museum.
Le Grange, L., 2007, Architect’s Perspective, Exhibition Panel Text Installation at Prestwich Memorial, Green Point, Cape Town.
Malan, A., 2003, Prestwich Place: Exhumation of Accidentally Discovered Burial Ground in Green Point Cape Town [Permit no 80/03/06/001/51].
Malan, A., 2004/5, ‘Contested Sites: Negotiating New Heritage Practice in Cape Town’ in Journal for Islamic Studies, Vols 24 and 25, pp.17-54.
Meersman, B., 2011, ‘Coffee give the spirits a lift’ in The Mail and Guardian, Friday, April 15 to 20, p.13.
Murray, N., Shepherd, N., Hall, M., 2007, Desire Lines, Space, Memory and Identity in the Post-apartheid City, London: Routledge, ArchiText Series.
Murray, N., 2007, ‘Remaking Modernism; South African Architecture in and Out of Time’, in N. Murray et al., pp. 59-85.
Murray, N., 2006, ‘Reframing the “Contemporary”, Architecture and the Postcolony’ in T.Deckler, A.Graupner and H.Rasmuss, eds. Contemporary Architecture in a Landscape of Transition, Cape Town: Double Storey, pp. 4–8.
Murray, N., 2004/5, ‘Cape Town’s Tana Baru Burial Ground: Wasteland or Prime Property?’ Journal for Islamic Studies, Vols 24 and 25, pp. 55-77.
Mustapha, A.R., 2008, ‘The Public Sphere in 21st Century Africa: Broadeing the Horizons of Democratization, Paper presented at Codesria 12th General Assembly, Yaounde, Cameroun, 7-11 December.
Orange Kloof City Improvement District (CID), 2008, ‘Prestwich Remains Blessed and Laid to Rest at Prestwich Memorial in Green Point’, Publicity Material, Sunday, 18 May 2008.
Parnell, S., 2007, ‘Urban Governance in the South: The Politics of Rights and Development’ in K. Cox, M.Louw, J.Robinson, eds, A Handbook of Political Geography, London: Sage.
Shepherd, N., Ernsten, C., 2007, ‘The World Below:Post-apartheid Urban Imaginaries and the Bones of the Prestwich Street Dead’ in N. Murray et al., 2007, pp. 215-232.
Shepherd, N., 2007, ‘Archaeology Dreaming: Post-apartheid Urban Imaginaries and the Bones of the Prestwich Street Dead’, Journal of Social Archaeology, Vol.7 No. 1, pp. 5-30.
Soudien, C., 2008, ‘Memory in the Remaking of Cape Town’ in B. Bennett, C. Julius and C. Soudien, eds, City. Site. Museum. Reviewing memory practices at the District Six Museu, Cape Town: District Six Museum.
Staff Reporter, 2005, ‘Memorial Park for Prestwich Bones’ in Cape Argus, Monday, 14 November 2005, p. 5.
Tayob, A, 2004/05, ‘Muslim Public Claiming Heritage in Post-Apartheid Cape Town’, in Journal for Islamic Studies, Special Edition: Burial Grounds: Sacred Sites and Heritage in Post-Apartheid Cape Town, Vols 24 & 25, pp. 78-104.
TRUTH Coffecult, http://www.truthcoffee.com/ (last accessed 26 June 2011). Weeder, M.I., 2006, ‘The Palaces of Memory: A Reconstruction of District One,
Cape Town before and after the group areas act’,. MA in Public and Visual Culture, Department of History, University of the Western Cape (UWC).