ABSTRACT
Heritage management in southern Africa has been the by-product of colonialism. During the colonial period, therefore, much of the practice reflected the interests of the colonial masters and hardly considered the aspirations of the local communities. Heritage was largely considered to be of scientific interest and protection was also viewed in this light. As far as its protection was concerned, the general thinking was that proper scientific procedures needed to be followed. In this chapter, however, it is argued that, traditionally, there did exist ways and means of protecting cultural heritage that were just as effective as scientific procedures. However, with the insistence on science as well as the political process in southern Africa and indeed elsewhere on the continent, part of the legacy of colonialism has been the alienation of local communities from their cultural heritage. Regrettably, it would seem that, despite political independence, heritage management in the region has continued to reflect the colonial discourse within which it was scientifically established. It is argued in this chapter that successful heritage management should involve local communities and should integrate both traditional and scientific procedures.
