The month of September marks national heritage month and this is the time where the City of Johannesburg celebrates its rich culture through music, dance, poetry, literature, exhibitions and dialogues.
These initiatives are taking place under the Arts Alive programme which is one of the flagship programmes of the City of Johannesburg.
The City of Johannesburg is the custodian of some of the most important heritage assets in the country, including the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Museum Africa and the Workers Museum. The City has also invested in the creation and management of museums in Soweto such as the Hector Pietersen Museum, the Kliptown Museum and the June 16 Interpretation Centre - amongst others. These institutions are providing access to the City’s residents and tourists alike to our rich heritage and historical collections in the various institutions.
The Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) building remains in need of much attention. This is due, largely, to the years of neglect, a lack of proper maintenance, defective workmanship from service providers, and long-standing structural weaknesses affecting the newer parts of the building. In response to these challenges, professional studies were commissioned in 2017/18 to guide a systematic process of restoration, which should be implemented as a phased programme of work in the coming years.
This has involved the development of a comprehensive building audit together with a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) to guide restoration work going forward. Completed in November 2017, the CMP gives a detailed set of guidelines for the repair and restoration of the building. Based on the CMP, a detailed scheme of work has to be produced for the restoration of JAG, which was projected for implementation as a phased project over the next three years.
The submission in June 2018 from the heritage architect goes as far as a four stage report which includes the following:
• Stage 1: Diagnostic report, inclusive of the building audit as well as the Conservation Management Plan (CMP);
• Stage 2: Sketch plans, with layout plans, sections and elevations;
• Stage 3: Sketch plans comprising plans, elevations and perspective sketches, and Site Development Plan (SDP);
• Stage 4: Technical drawings and specifications.
Some ground was thus covered in 2017/18 as regards the accurate diagnostic analysis of the infrastructure challenges at the JAG. The next step is to develop a detailed scheme of work with detailed costing to guide the total investment need to fully restore the building. Initial estimates based on the CMP are approximately R60 million.
In order to secure and preserve the heritage of JAG, Museum Africa and the Cottages at the Workers Museum, it remains essential that funding is made available for the restoration work.
There was some seed CAPEX budget set aside for the 2017-2019 MTEF Cycle for the restoration of the JAG, the Workers Museum and Museum Africa. The seed funding that was made available for the restoration of these institutions has been reprioritized by the City owing to more pressing CAPEX priorities. The City is however committed to relook the situation of providing funding for these important cultural institutions to ensure that their restoration is resourced.
The City has also engaged a number of stakeholders, including national and provincial departments, to canvass support and leverage resources for the restoration of the City’s heritage sites.
The department of Community Development, as custodians of the City’s heritage sites, has also approached the private sector - including international players in the Arts and Cultural space to also assist.
We are appealing to the private sector for assistance with more resources so that we can bring the JAG to its former glory for the residents of the City, as well as to ensure that we continue to attract visitors to this state of the art facility.
For information and media queries, please contact:
Mr Vuyisile Mshudulu
Director: Arts, Culture and Heritage Directorate
Cell: 065 979 0773
Email: VuyisileMsh@joburg.org.za
