Belgravia High School needs the public’s help to get it declared a provincial heritage site and are calling on “ordinary people” to share their untold stories which the “history books did not cover”.
The project, championed by a group of teachers and pupils at Belgravia High, calling themselves the Enrichment Society, involves a lot of leg work, and extensive research was done. The next phase of this initiative is to get mass participation before Heritage Western Cape makes a decision.
What makes it unique is that a company, called Vidamemoria Heritage Consultants, initiated the heritage status application for Belgravia High School, along with eight other schools.
If all goes well, the nine schools – which include Rylands, Alexander Sinton, Livingstone, Athlone, Cathkin, Langa, Mount View and Fezeka high schools – will receive collective provincial heritage status.
Belgravia High teacher Shireen Ryklief said the process is being called the #Unheard heritage.
“We all want our stories told. Our heritage told from our point of view is long overdue. The declaration of schools as heritage sites aims to honour the contribution of students and learners during protests and boycotts in the liberation struggle. Belgravia High, also known as Bellies, is of heritage significance because of its social and historical value. The declaration provides an opportunity for communities to take pride in their heritage, their stories and their identity. This project aims to create awareness of the role of many untold heroes of the liberation struggle,” Ms Ryklief said.
During the 1985 student uprising, Belgravia High was the location where 5 000 pupils gathered, where an effigy of PW Botha (the president at that time), was put in a coffin and buried. This was done to symbolically bury apartheid.
Paul Masella, also a Belgravia High teacher and former pupil, said he too was an activist who was detained several times.
“There are many aspects of the struggle that were never told, especially on the Cape Flats. We only know of the stories of famous people,” he said.
His colleague, Shaheed Mahomed, agreed, saying the history books do not tell the stories of ordinary people who played an integral part in the country’s liberation struggle.
Mr Mahomed added that the symbolic burying of apartheid ignited a spark of general resistance from pupils at various schools.
“The Trojan Horse Massacre attracted national and international attention, however, it was after the burying of apartheid which happened before, that ignited the resistance. It was the development of community power and at the time the government extended the national state of emergency. I had the privilege of interviewing Kulsum Ebrahim before her passing. She gave refuge to 80 students in her home during the Trojan Horse Massacre. One of them had a hand grenade. She persuaded him not to throw it. One can only imagine how the security police would have responded. That day she saved the lives of 80 young people,” Mr Mahomed said.
Grade 11 pupil Cemerica Misoya said she takes history as a subject, but didn’t know the history of her school, hence she decided to be part of the group.
“Our school was a safe haven for so many, and it is important that we get heritage status. I do history and I am very passionate about this project,” Cemerica said.
Malaika Attari, Bhadikazi Makalviza, Awomke Ntantiso, all in Grade 11 and Madina Attari, in Grade 10, said Ms Ryklief’s passion for this project encouraged them to be part of it.
“I tell everyone I encounter about our school and the important role it played in the liberation struggle of South Africa. Now we need the community’s support in all this. We want them to express how they feel about our school,” Madina said.
The public can support this cause by filling out a form at https://www.vidamemoria.co.za/public-participation/unheardheritage
Any pictures, videos or articles about community involvement during this period or if anybody knows of someone who should be interviewed, send an email to belgrav.adm@gmail.com or it can be dropped off at the school.
