South Africa would proceed with, and undertake a number of new heritage projects this year, including new museums and centres in memory of South Africa’s anti-Apartheid struggle, President Jacob Zuma announced this week.

These include the 1980 Matola Raid museum in Maputo, in Mozambique, the Ncome museum in KwaZulu-Natal, Phase 2 of the Freedom Park museum in Tshwane and the Steve Biko heritage centre in Ginsberg, in King Williamstown.

Further, the President prioritised the homes and graves of former ANC presidents and other national heroes including Thomas Maphikela, Lilian Ngoyi, Walter and Albertina Sisulu, Griffiths and Victoria Mxenge, Robert Sobukwe and others to be restored and properly maintained.

“We are also in the process of purchasing and rehabilitating the Winnie Mandela house in Brandfort, the Dr Moroka house in Thaba Nchu and the Bram Fischer house in Westdene,” Zuma said in his State of the Nation address in Parliament on Thursday.

Memorial sites to be prioritised include that of the Pondo Revolt, the sites of the Frontier Wars, the 1913 revolt by African women in the Free State, the 1957 antipass revolt by women in Zeerust, the Rocklands Civic Centre in Mitchells Plain where the United Democratic Front was formed and the Gugulethu Seven monument in Cape Town.

Additional projects include the unveiling of the statue of John Dube at the King Shaka International Airport next month and renaming the Kings House Presidential residence in Durban after Dr Dube.

Zuma added that the Presidential guesthouse in Pretoria would be named after Sefako Makgatho and the diplomatic guesthouse in Pretoria would be named after the late diplomat Johnny Makatini.

Government will also table the National Traditional Affairs Bill, which would make provision for the recognition of the Khoi-San communities, their leadership and structures.

“As a free and democratic South Africa today, we cannot ignore [sic] to correct the past. I discussed this matter extensively with the Khoi-San community when I met with them in Cape Town last year and we agreed to work together to redress the injustices of the past,” Zuma said.