Abbreviation Amafa Legal status Public Entity Founded 1997 | Formation 1997 Main organ Council Headquarters oNdini | |
 | ||
Management Mr. J. Sithole (Chairperson)James van Vuuren (Acting Chief Executive Officer) | ||
Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali (Zulu for ‘Heritage KwaZulu-Natal’), commonly known as 'Amafa', is a provincial heritage resources authority in terms of South Africa's National Heritage Resources Act. It was established in 1997 in terms of the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act of that year and is an agency of the Office of the Premier of the government of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. It is also a 'public entity' under the terms of the Public Finance Management Act. It is mandated to care for that part of South Africa's national estate that is of provincial and local significance in KwaZulu-Natal .
Contents
- History
- Chairpersons of Council
- Chief Executive Officers
- SAHRA and Amafas Mandate
- Council and committees
- Staff Complement
- Funding
- Offices
- Literature
- References
Amafa is the oldest heritage resources authority in South Africa, all others being established in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 or, in the Northern Cape, under provincial legislation that post dates the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act of 1997.
Amafa is best known as the custodian of approximately 300 Provincial Landmarks and Heritage Landmarks in the province, and several sites at which it manages interpretative centres.
History
Amafa is the successor body to the National Monuments Council in the former Natal Province and KwaZulu Monuments Council in the former KwaZulu Bantustan or homeland, in South Africa. Under the 1996 Constitution of South Africa, cultural matters are a competency shared between national and provincial government. This necessitated the creation of a system whereby many of the responsibilities of former monuments authorities were devolved to provincial level via the National Heritage Resources Act.
Provinces may pass their own heritage resources legislation and KwaZulu-Natal is one of only two that has chosen that route rather than to use provisions of the National Heritage Resources Act to establish a provincial heritage resources authority (PHRA). Part of the reason for this is that the first KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act (1997) predates the National Heritage Resources Act (1999) and that there was no national framework for heritage at the time that the province resolved to establish its PHRA. The 1997 Act was replaced in 2008 by a new act of the same name.
The Logo of the organisation is the one formerly used by the KwaZulu Monuments Council.
Chairpersons of Council
Chief Executive Officers
SAHRA and Amafa's Mandate
Amafa is subject to a biennial assessment of competency by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, SAHRA in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act. This process determines which aspects of the national estate it is qualified to implement. It has been assessed as competent to deal with all areas over which a provincial heritage resources authority is permitted to act.
Council and committees
Amafa is governed by a Council appointed by the Member of the Executive Council of the Province responsible for its functions. Presently that is the provincial Premier. It is appointed for a three-year term of office. .
The Council has established a number of committees which meet regularly to implement the responsibilities of the organisation. These include the following: .
Staff Complement
Amafa employs a staff complement of around 100. They are under the authority of the Chief Executive Officer. .
Funding
Amafa receives an annual transfer payment from the KwaZulu-Natal Premier's Department. This, together with earnings from application fees and income generated by the sites which it manages, covers its operational costs.
Offices
Amafa has offices at the KwaZulu Cultural Museum, King Cetshwayo Highway, Ondini, Ulundi (28.19.11.33S 31.27.33.75E) and the Old YMCA Building, Cnr Langalibalele and Buchanan Streets, Pietermaritzburg (29.36.16.46S 30.22.39.42.E)