The Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route (RLHR) project is a national memory project aimed at commemorating, celebrating, educating, promoting, preserving, conserving and providing a durable testament of South African’s road to independence.

The project draws on heritage as testimony and depiction of South Africa’s journey from the first contact with colonists to the attainment of democracy through a series of connected multi-dimensional sites at the local, provincial, national and international level.

This is done in a manner that promotes the values enshrined in the South African Constitution namely; a participatory process of identification and documentation of significant sites, formal protection and management of heritage resources and the interpretation and commemoration of the liberation struggle.

It uses an integrated approach to leverage the potential of resistance and liberation heritage to help demonstrate a shared past and shared future, and tap into the socio-economic potential of this heritage for the benefit of different communities, by harnessing multi-disciplinary strengths of diverse government and other sectors.

Image: Sean O’Toole

We coordinate the management of the Liberation Heritage Route, demonstrate the price of freedom and mainstream the Heritage of Resistance and Liberation in all relevant areas of policy, programming, economy and infrastructure.

By participating in the African Liberation Heritage Programme and providing national input in the world heritage agenda, we contribute to the Africa we want and a better world that values the place of Africa’s road to freedom in the search for a better world; while supporting sustainable development goals.

By supporting the commemorative and repatriation events, we keep the living heritage of unsung martyrs, heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle alive to present and future generations.

Cumulatively, this work supports various National Development Plan outcomes including: Social Cohesion; Education; Mainstreaming of Integrated Planning; Sustainable Settlements; Conservation; International Relations; Increased Economic Participation and Infrastructure that Supports Economic Activity.