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
In 1954 the Orlando Swimming Bath Appeal Fund Committee handed over the facility to the Johannesburg City Council on condition it retained the name “Huddleston Swimming Bath, Orlando.” Father Trevor Huddleston had raised the money for this, the first public swimming pool in Soweto, because he knew it was important to provide recreational facilities for the community.