SEEKING INCLUSIVE HERITAGE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE CASE OF MAPUNGUBWE AND THE MAKGABENG CULTURAL LANDSCAPES.

The relevant literature exposes a notable lag in the effective implementation of decolonised approaches in South African heritage management. This article examines the degree to which the concepts of indigeneity and decoloniality can provide a framework for heritage management in South Africa using the Mapungubwe and Makgabeng cultural landscapes as case studies. Specifically, to what degree do such concepts have meaning to local communities, and how might they shape the involvement of communities in heritage management? Ethnographic methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs), were used to collect qualitative data from the two study areas. Participants included village elders (men and women), and heritage practitioners employed by SANParks and Blouberg Local Municipality. This study found that approaches shaped by indigeneity and decoloniality are not yet fully applied in the management of heritage. There are some thorny issues that may inhibit the effective implementation of these approaches, including the monetisation of heritage interest, conflict over landownership, political infighting, and alienation from heritage. This study also critiques the current level of participation allowed to 'indigenous communities' in heritage management in these two contexts. It emerged that there are conflicting perspectives between local participants who feel excluded from decision-making in the management of heritage, and heritage managers who believe that their organisations have made remarkable progress to provide for such participation. Understandings of decoloniality and indigeneity are complex, and their application is not straightforward and still lagging in South African heritage management practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]