Private sector involvement in public history production in South Africa: the ‘Sunday Times’ Heritage Project

This article investigates issues of identity construction and public memorialization in postapartheid South Africa. It focuses on the ‘Sunday Times’ Heritage Project, a unique private-sector initiative that involved the installation of thirty memorials throughout the country between 2006 and 2008. The article discusses the conceptualization and implementation of the project, pointing out important differences between this private initiative and the State-directed heritage effort. By interrogating the nexus between race, space, and memory in the construction of memorials, the article highlights the significance of placement and location in the formation of new identity discourses. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract]