CAPE TOWN-Members of the public and various local museums came together for a wholesome picnic to share stories and celebrate Heritage Day on Saturday 27 September.
The Heritage Day Picnic and Commemoration took place at Old Kom Bay and was organised by Simon’s Town Museum, District Six Museum, Fish Hoek Valley Museum and the Kommetjie Ratepayers Association.
The picnic was launched with the unveiling of two mosaic wag-‘n-bietjie benches by Pentjie Newman and Louisa Layters, said Fish Hoek Valley Museum spokesperson Sue Maude.
“The benches were created by Reagan Rubain, with artwork from Chip Snaddon, in memory of the families forcibly removed from Kommetjie and Witsands. This was a continuation of the Wag-‘n-bietjie project started by Simon’s Town Museum, with six benches put up in Jubilee Square, Simon’s Town. After the solemn and moving ceremony, we made our way to the grass for some fun, feasting and connection. Thanks to everyone who attended for making this special day possible and we hope to make it an annual event,” she said.
The District Six Museum helped record snippets of the visitors who shared their stories from the Valley.
This is called the District Six Oral History Campaign which is a historical record of those who were affected by forced removals and left “voiceless” under apartheid.
“We do oral history because it connects to the ordinary, the everyday. It gives us a window to how our parents and our grandparents lived. It was a day of people coming together and not only remembering the forced removals in Kommetjie but also we can each play a part for a better future,” said District Six Museum member, Matthew Nissen.
The Wag-‘n-Bietjie benches are meant to provide a space to contemplate, reflect and bridge the gap of historical misunderstanding and ignorance.
Simon’s Town Museum stated on their website that: “The benches are permanent reminders of a painful past. These represent the six out of the twelve areas which people were forcibly removed from. The idea behind Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-‘n-bietjie tree, represents life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag, indicating that life is not always straightforward. Two thorns at the nodes are also significant; one facing backward represents where we come from and one facing forward, represents where we are going.”
Mary-Anne Potts, organiser of the bench project said: “It was an important public acknowledgement in Kommetjie of the trauma and pain suffered by families forcibly removed from Kommetjie, and the effects that this has had on the children and families down the generations in Ocean View. Then, enjoying games and a picnic together at the Kom was a lovely celebration of our special environment.”
“This is the start of a process to gather the stories of the Valley that have not yet been heard. A WhatsApp group – Valley Stories – has been set up and anyone interested in following the project of collecting the stories of the valley,” Maude said.
. For more information contact Sue Maude at curator.fishhoekvalleymuseum@gmail.com or WhatsApp 062 576 6166.
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