The revival of the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance in Hankey, Eastern Cape, marks a significant victory for heritage, historical redress, and the power of accountable governance. This progress is the direct result of sustained DA pressure – on provincial as well as national government level – and decisive intervention by DA Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson.
For over a decade, the project stood as a symbol of government neglect, with R247 million spent, three contractors later, and no completed centre to show. The DA consistently fought for transparency and accountability, including repeated oversight visits, public pressure, and parliamentary questions.
Now, with the DA in government and Minister Macpherson answering the call, the project has finally turned a corner. Funding has been fully secured across the 2025/26 MTEF period, a formal Service Level Agreement has been signed with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), and clearly defined project milestones and steering committees are in place.
The Centre is more than bricks and mortar, it is a national act of remembrance and a critical step in honouring Sarah Baartman and restoring the dignity of the Khoe, San, and Coloured communities. After years of empty promises, the DA is delivering tangible progress on an issue of deep symbolic and cultural importance.
While the project will also benefit the local economy through construction and heritage conservation, it will have great advantages for the local community by creating a significant number of jobs. Its core value lies in its power to preserve memory, confront historical injustice, and rebuild identity.
This is what the DA can do in government: we fight for the issues that matter, and when entrusted with the responsibility to govern, we deliver. From oversight to implementation, the DA’s leadership, at both provincial and national level, has ensured that the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance is no longer just a forgotten promise.
We will continue to monitor progress to ensure that the Centre becomes a proud and inclusive space for all South Africans, and that the local Khoe community plays a central role in shaping its future.