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Community involvement and heritage management in rural South Africa

ABSTRACT Located in the former Transkei homeland of the apartheid era, now the Eastern Cape Province, Matatiele is one of many disadvantaged though culturally rich communities in South Africa. Both the government and academics have neglected the region for decades. The Matatiele Community and its Mehloding Community Trust needed to understand community views about a proposed heritage centre. Therefore, I conducted research (including interviews) to understand the various communities’ perceptions of what they regard as heritage, including their views on heritage management and the significance of rock art. In this paper, I outline the complexities of rock art management within an area whose inhabitants do not relate to the ‘western’ meaning of heritage, as well as the significance of involving community perspectives to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics surrounding heritage and its management. Communities’ perspectives this study have informed heritage management strategies that are relevant for Matatiele.