The Healing Memorial

Dealing with Trauma in Sharpeville Memorial Landscapes

Lefika Sebego

BArch Hons 2022

Supervisors:
Unit Leader: Dr. Finzi Saidi
Unit Leader: Mathebe Aphane
Unit Tutor: Bonolo Masango
Unit Tutor: Nomalanga Mahlangu

UNIT 15X
Landscapes of Memory

Awards
Distinction

The title of the MDP is The Healing Memorial - Dealing with Trauma in Sharpeville Memorial Landscape using dialogic drawings as per Cathrine Dee as a methodology and exploration. The Sharpeville massacre was intended to be a peaceful protest against the pass laws which became a traumatic event. The protest was led by the Pan African Congress of Azania (PAC) on 21 March 1960. The key words are memory and landscape. Memory is used to interrogate the site through the lens of the community. The landscape within the Sharpeville precinct has a deeper metaphoric significance. After the tragic shooting, it rained, and it is believed that the blood of the fallen martyrs flowed towards the Dlomo Dam. The precinct has been identified as the core focus because it is deemed as a sacred landscape where the spirits of the martyrs lie and the sacredness of the landscape extends to the Dlomo Dam. The overall focus is on the black body, specifically focusing on the community. The project further unpacks the stages of grief which are often associated with trauma. The healing memorial is a journey from the core precinct to the Dlomo Dam. The journey encapsulates the traumatic experiences, and the destination offers collective and individual healing.

Keywords:
Landscape, Trauma, Memory, Rehabilitation, Heal