STATUS REPORT ON CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HERITAGE CENTRE

The new heritage centre project on the Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site is well under way and the planned completion date will be May 2008. At this stage the following can be reported:

• The first concrete casting ceremony took place in May 2007.
• The planned date for completion of the structure is the end of September 2007, whereupon the brick work will commence.
• The exterior work and landscaping is progressing well and are ahead of schedule.
• Very good progress is being made with the research for and the planning of the exhibition to be installed in the Heritage Centre. The actual installation is scheduled to start in March 2008, to allow for adequate dry runs before the actual inauguration of the Centre.

The Heritage Centre will consist of a three story building and is located between the existing head office and the Garden of Remembrance on the northern side of the circle road running around the VTM. The ground floor will accommodate the archives, the weapons’ safe, work and store rooms, offices and ablution facilities. The middle floor will accommodate the library and research centre plus more offices and ablution facilities, while the top floor will accommodate the exhibition space and a small auditorium.

The exhibition will be dedicated to “the evolution, role and contribution of the Afrikaner to South Africa since 1902, in the process of conflict, adaptation and growth.” The exhibition will be depicted in a modern, inclusive, a-political, non-propagandistic and objective manner, and will most probably be the first and only exhibition in the country to give a comprehen-sive and balanced overview in this regard to both domestic and international visitors. (By the way, as CEO I am very excited about that which has to date been conveyed to me by the team of specialists doing the actual research, and the artist who will be concentrating on the visual and artistic presentation of the final topics).

The total cost for the project, including the exhibition, is RM 11, 8 for which the following contributions have already been received:

a. Contribution by the State :          R 2 036 000

b. ABSA :          R 2 000 000

c. HF Verwoerd Monument Fund Trust :          R 1 566 000

d. Naspers/Media 24 :          R 1 500 000

e. Sanlam :          R 1 300 000

f. Rupert Family Foundation :          R    500 000

g. Het Jan Marais National Fund :          R    400 000     

h. Voortrekker Monument :          R    200 000

i. Dr Marie Luttig Trust :          R    149 000

j. Dagbreek Trust :         R    100 000

k. Distell : R 20 000

l. Total                                                         :          R 9 771 000

Several other institutions and organizations have already been approached for contributions and I am confident that they will soon react positively. I believe the balance of what we need, will be obtained in good time, especially as our ordinary Friends are now becoming involved and are starting to make contributions.

The new Heritage Centre will play a very important role to provide a proper holistic overview of the role of the Afrikaners in South Africa, and will definitely add tremendous value for money to all visitors to the Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site. At this stage it is not planned to raise separate entrance fees for visits to the Heritage Centre, as the Boards of Directors of both the Voortrekker Monument and the Heritage Foundation see this project as a sincere attempt to provide even better and more hospitable service to the approximately 200 000 paying visitors per year to the Site.

Yours faithfully

GERT OPPERMAN

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

8 October 2007