President Jacob Zuma will on Wednesday officially open the Groot Marico Heritage Site and the Liberation Heritage Route of Bokone Bophirima, where activists crossed as they went into exile to continue the struggle against apartheid and colonialism.
In pictures and inscriptions, the Heritage Site tells the story of President Zuma and 45 other activists, who were intercepted by security police at Groot Marico in June 1963, leading to them serving prison terms on Robben Island.
Groot Marico Heritage Site, featuring prominently the arrest site of President Zuma, is being developed as part of the liberation heritage programme of government aimed at recording, preserving, restoring and promoting all heritage sites which form part of the rich liberation heritage and history of the country.
The site is envisaged as a tourist attraction with various features that have been designed in two phases. The first phase comprises a fireball surrounded by eight walls, with each wall inscribed with various stories of the President's life.
There will also be a museum furnished with art effects depicting the area of Groot Marico, the North West and liberation heritage stories, as well as an old police van symbolising apartheid police and the Batswana cultural village, which President Zuma will unveil.
The second phase of the Heritage Site is a house which is designed for use as a venue for small groups of people for meetings and events. There will also be a craft centre.
The building and maintenance of the heritage site has the potential to stimulate economic activity and create much needed jobs in the communities of Groot Marico, Bahurutshe villages, Zeerust and surrounding areas in the North West province. The project will also contribute towards cultural tourism domestically and internationally.
President Zuma’s journey
