FACT FILE: OFFICIAL OPENING OF JUNE 16TH MEMORIAL ACRE ON
16 JUNE 2014 BY GAUTENG PREMIER MR. DAVID MAKHURA
Background:
Gauteng Premier, Mr David Makhura together with the MEC for Infrastructure
Development, Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza and MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and
Recreation, Ms Molebatsi Bopape officially launched the June 16th Memorial Acre
in Soweto today.
The R48 million Acre houses the June 16th Memorial and Youth Institute, which
is the principle stop along the June 16th Trail. The Institute will become a centre
for memory and a resource for young people to contribute to community
development through various youth developmental programmes that will be run
from the institute. It will be a place of learning and skills development. The
Institute will partner with universities to develop an accessible June 16th
historical reference centre, offer support programmes to out-of-school youth and
help them acquire skills and employment through leadership training and
mentoring.
Architecture:
From the outside, the two-storey building has a unique design in the shape of an
AK 47 rifle, which was a symbol of the struggle. Next to the memorial, a statue
of Tsietsi Mashinini has been erected. Mashinini was one of the student leaders
of the march. He died in exile in the 1990s. The entrance to the institute has a
section of glazed steel bearing the words: Struggle, Liberty, Freedom, June 16,
Memorial Acre, Youth and Rise.
The site is enclosed by a memorial wall which depicts the pictorial history of the
area and the events of June 16th 1976 and forms a walkway for learners on
route to the Morris Isaacson High School. All artwork on the grounds of the
institute have been procured from community artists.
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FACT SHEET: OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE JUNE 16TH MEMORIAL ACRE IN SOWETO ON 16 JUNE 2014
Technology
The institute is technologically advanced. It has a room for a back-up generator
which will service the whole building in case of power outages. The generator
will kick in automatically the moment the electricity cuts off, and will have a
large enough fuel tank to last for 24 hours. On the ground floor, there is an
open space that will house an art gallery. A medium-sized multipurpose room
will be able to accommodate just over 100 people, to be used for various
purposes. The basement consists of a large space that will provide an alternative
venue for meetings and conferences. The facility will also house a computer
room with space for 10 computers. There is a multimedia room that will contain
television screens and print material, including educational books. A server room
will connect all computer systems.
192 previously disadvantage beneficiaries received work and training during the
course of the project. This figure can be disaggregated into 157 male, 35
females, 87 youth. Six local contractors also benefitted.
Green Building
The building was designed for maximum protection against the loss of warm or
cool air and was built with moisture-resistant insulating materials that do not
cause indoor humidity problems. Laminated glass was used in all windows to
provide insulation. Eco-label rating materials are used on the building to save
energy throughout the building. A large roof overhang was incorporated to
supply the landscape with natural rain water
Screens are incorporated to the western site of the building to prevent heat from
entering the building but to allow light into the building. This minimizes the
usage of artificial lighting and saves electricity. The use of large glass windows
throughout the building minimise the usage of artificial light and allow natural
light into the building. Cavity walls were incorporated into the design in order to
prevent the loss of energy and to keep the warm / cool air in the building in
dependent on the season.
All lights are installed in accordance with Eskom’s energy saving policy. LED
lights are used throughout the structure – LED lights use approximately half the
electricity of the old standard fluorescent light fittings. The perimeter night
security lighting also uses energy efficient light bulbs and incorporates day/night
light sensors.
History
MEC for Infrastructure Development, Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza was born and
raised in Soweto, at the tender age of 14 she participated in the June 16, 1976
youth uprisings and marched in protest against Bantu education. “Today marks
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FACT SHEET: OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE JUNE 16TH MEMORIAL ACRE IN SOWETO ON 16 JUNE 2014
a giant step in commemorating our liberation, it evokes nostalgia and also a
powerful indicator of the strides we have made together as a people,
government and country”, said MEC Mayathula-Khoza.
ENDS
For enquiries contact Ramona Baijnath on 076 942 3419 or email:
[email protected]
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FACT SHEET: OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE JUNE 16TH MEMORIAL ACRE IN SOWETO ON 16 JUNE 2014