On Women's Day, we had a conversation on the state of the Women's Living Monument in Pretoria and how the monument was not operational ahead of the public holiday. In many ways, the state of a monument is a reflection of how the government prioritizes the conservation of certain types of heritage and those being remembered and the events being memorialized.

Heritage sites provide a public good that goes beyond commemoration: they provide educational purposes where future generations can learn about their history. Heritage sites are also a marker of national identity and bring about social cohesion by instilling the values of the nation. We wanted to discuss the struggles facing cultural heritage sites and the recognition of the work that they do to remind ordinary citizens to embrace their roots. The conversation will speak to how we should be approaching heritage conservation and the role of communities in honouring the memory/event/individual.

Guest: Sir Nicholas Wolpe - Chief Executive Officer of the Liliesleaf Trust