Freedom Park - Discover South Africa's Great History
Though still under construction, Freedom Park will be one of the country’s ultimate tourist stops. Designed to cover the history of the country – from that determined by fossils which are said to date back 3.6 billion years – all the way to the present, it will provide a detailed description of certain noteworthy events which occurred during the country’s history. These events will include the migration of the native tribes through the region, the arrival of the settlers, the Anglo-Boer war, the Apartheid era and the country’s vision for the future. This one-stop historical attraction will tell the story of South Africa’s past in an interesting and interactive way – making it not only interesting but enjoyable.
The development is to be established on a 52-hectare site which can be found on the outskirts of Pretoria at Salvokop. When finished, the park will have a memorial, an interactive museum and a garden of remembrance. The overall trip through the park will tell a consistent tale of the country’s history – with a special focus on the struggle for freedom, survival, land and resources. Freedom Park will also show how these various factors influenced the political, cultural, economic and social landscape of the country. The government has put R350 million into the project and construction will take a number of years to complete. The first phase was the garden of remembrance, which was started in 2003, and is roughly 25 000 square meters in size. The landscaping of the garden is now complete but the various monuments, statues and sculptures that are to be housed in it are yet to arrive. Construction continues on the other parts of the project and it is expected to reach completion by 2007. Other features will include an open space suitable for 5 000 people, a conference centre, a library and an audio-visual library.
Freedom Park is a memorial to the past that has shaped the country which so many people have come to love. Much of it is sad, some of it is happy and all of it is very, very interesting. In this colossal park, people from all corners of the country and globe can take a walk through the past and gain a better understanding of key elements such as the struggle for freedom during apartheid or South Africa’s role in the first and second world wars. More than this, it will help many South African’s to understand the factors which have so influence the culture around them and which has become a part of their daily lives. This unbiased look into the past will certainly shape the future as it serves to educate our children about the rich history of our wonderful country.
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