Monuments and meaning making: Freedom Park and the bumpy road to reconciliation and nation-building in South Africa
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Date
2012
Authors
Labuschagne, Pieter
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State
Abstract
On Salvokop, just south of Pretoria, a new memorial in the form of an open park (Freedom Park) was
established to honour those who had sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom and humanity, but
also to enhance reconciliation and freedom in South Africa. Although Freedom Park was a welcome
addition to the commemoration of a specific chapter in the country’s history, it also attracted criticism
for excluding the names of former South African Defence Force (SADF) soldiers who also perished.
It seems that the difference in interpretation of who were the heroes and heroines of the struggle is
thwarting the initial noble ideas of commemoration, reconciliation and nation-building. The article
focuses on the differences in interpretation and also attempts to analyse Freedom Park’s role as part of
peace-building in South Africa.
Description
Keywords
Freedom Park, Monuments, Nation-building, Reconciliation, Policy makers, SADF soldiers, Salvokop, Voortrekker Monument
Citation
Labuschagne, P. (2012). Monuments and meaning making: Freedom Park and the bumpy road to reconciliation and nation-building in South Africa. Journal for Contemporary History, 37(1), 158-170.