Heritage Week is an exciting time at Iziko Museums of Cape Town. From free visits to the museums (excluding the Castle of Good Hope and Iziko Planetarium) to a jam-packed programme of activities, there is no better place to celebrate than at the hearth of our heritage. Saturday, 25 September will have added significance as Iziko Museums commemorates the 500^th anniversary since the Khoi-Almeida confrontation of 1510. 

This symposium follows on from last year’s successful commemorative event which aimed to explore the impact that the Khoi-Dutch confrontation of 1659 had on South Africa’s contemporary society. History yet again reminds us that it was here, in the sand dunes of Table Bay, that a fierce confrontation took place between the Khoikhoi and Francisco de Almeida of Portugal.

“The Portuguese looked down on the ‘savages’ of the African continent, but they paid dearly for their arrogance when Francisco de Almeida, Viceroy of Portuguese India, was returning to Portugal in 1510.  When his crew kidnapped some Khoi children at Table Bay to force the people to bring cattle for barter, the Khoikhoi launched a full-scale attack on the cream of the Portuguese nobility, killing fifty of the crew, including Almeida himself” (Smith & Pheiffer 1993:11).   

Five hundred years later we probe what the unearthing of this almost forgotten history means in South Africa today. In our quest to discover who we are; where we come from and perhaps also where it is that we are going; we also explore how we can ensure that our past is not a wasteland, but a space that must be re-engaged in an inclusive manner.

The symposium, chaired by Dr. Basil Kivedo, will feature academics, cultural activists and community leaders such as Desmond Sampson; Dr Yvette Abrahams; Priscilla de Wet; Zenzile Khoisan and Ron Martin.

Be sure to engage in this momentous event as we seek to address these pertinent questions, while also elucidating the continuum of our past, present and future. For more information please do not hesitate to contact Wandile Goozen Kasibe on 021 481 3804/13 or email. 

Free access during Heritage Week, 20–26 September, presents the perfect opportunity to engage in Iziko’s exciting offerings. Please note that the Planetarium and the Castle of Good Hope will only offer free entry on Heritage Day, 24^th September.  From insightful museum tours to groundbreaking exhibitions; musical performances to film screenings, and even taxidermy workshops – this interactive programme offers something for everyone.  Visit Iziko for more information and a complete Heritage Week programme.

Related posts:

1. Iziko Slave Lodge Open on Sunday, 26 September during My Cape Town Weekend
2. Visit Iziko Museums of Cape Town for free this National Women’s Day
3. Iziko Social History Centre Comes Into Its Own
4. My Cape Town Weekend in the Company Gardens
5. My Cape Town Weekend in the Company’s Garden