JOHANNESBURG - The heritage fraternity is calling for a better approach to maintain and preserve heritage sites.
Stakeholders say the heritage sites can be used to enhance the economy and create job opportunities.
South Africa's history is incredibly rich and complex, marked by significant events and cultural shifts that have shaped the nation into what it is today.
Many heritage sites have been abandoned and left derelict, while stakeholders fight over who is responsible for them.
Some abandoned heritage sites include the Marshall Street Barracks in Johannesburg, which served as the city's first police station.
Built in 1897, the Rissik Street Post Office once towered over Johannesburg at 102 metres, the city’s tallest building.
It scored national monument status in 1978. The doors finally closed in 1996.
Then, in 2009, a fire gutted the place.
Seth Mazibuko is also putting in an effort to preserve and sustain some heritage sites through his foundation.
Mazibuko is aggrieved by the prevailing situation.
Mazibuko's home in Orlando, Soweto, has been turned into a heritage site.
The house is where students used to hold meetings during the 1976 student uprising.
The former anti-apartheid activist is also using his foundation to tackle issues affecting young people, focusing on education and economic participation.
- eNCA's Bafedile Moerane reports.