Since 1994, South Africa has embraced an inclusive and democratic definition of heritage, yet the protection of the built environment remains uneven. While legislation provides a progressive framework, its implementation is fragile: enforcement is weak, penalties are negligible, and development pressures frequently prevail over preservation.
BOOK REVIEWS
Michael Stevenson’s Samuel Daniell: A Life of an Artist in Southern Africa and Ceylon, 1799–1811 stands as a work of rare distinction: sumptuous in production, meticulous in scholarship, and deeply rewarding in intellectual substance.
BLUE PLAQUES
Completed in 1919, The Munro Drive opened up Lower Houghton for development. Named after John Munro, a director of the Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Company, developer of Houghton Estate, it traverses a steep 900m with a hairpin bend and an impressive retaining wall. The original wall collapsed in 1938, and was rebuilt with dressed stone and an iron railing decorated with the City’s then coat of arms.