NATIONAL HERITAGE-1
31 December 2021 update

NATIONAL HERITAGE

War Graves Control and Maintenance Ordinance 2 of 1927

Summary: This Ordinance (OG 232) provides for the control and maintenance of war graves. The

Ordinance was extended to the Rehoboth Gebiet by Proc. 12/1930 (OG 365).

Regulations: The Ordinance makes no provision for regulations.

Notices: Proc. 17/1928 (OG 284) vests control of war graves in SWA in the Administrator of SWA.

GN 191/1960 (OG 2276) concerns the Graves Commission.

National Heritage Act 27 of 2004

Summary: This Act (GG 3361) provides for the preservation and registration of places and objects of

national significance. It establishes a National Heritage Council and a National Heritage Register. The

Act repeals the National Monuments Act 28 of 1969. It was brought into force on 1 September 2005 by

GN 105/2005 (GG 3490).

Amendments: The State-owned Enterprises Governance Act 2 of 2006 (GG 3698), which was brought

into force on 1 November 2006 by Proc. 13/2006 (GG 3733) and later re-named the Public Enterprises

Governance Act 2 of 2006, amends section 1, 4 and 7, deletes section 6 and substitutes section 18.

Regulations: Section 69(2) provides that any regulation or by-law made and anything done under the

repealed law which may be made or done under a provision of this Act survives. Pre-independence

regulations have not yet been researched.

Regulations are promulgated under this Act in GN 106/2005 (GG 3490).

Declarations of national monuments and other protected areas: Heroes Acre is designated as a

national monument (under the previous Act) in GN 144/2002 (GG 2801).

Grave No 171 (the Mass Grave) in the Old Location Cemetery and Omugulugwombashe are designated

as national monuments in GN 118/2006 (GG 3679).

An area in and around Swakopmund is designated a conservation area by General Notice 260/2006 (GG

3688), and the demolition of any building situated for 50 years or more in this area is prohibited by

General Notice 79/2008 (GG 4022).
Note that the original GG 3688 was replaced by a subsequent corrected version. The corrected version
states at the top: This Gazette replace [sic] Gazette No. 3688 of 1 September 2006.

Betholdt Himumuine Primary School is declared to be a heritage place by General Notice 298/2006 (GG

3714).

Dorslandtrekker is declared to be a heritage place by General Notice 299/2006 (GG 3714).

Twyfelfontein is declared to be a conservation area in General Notice 20/2007 (GG 3788).

A number of places and objects are designated as heritage places and heritage objects in GN 155/2011

(GG 4787) and in General Notice 393/2013 (GG 5306).

NATIONAL HERITAGE-2
31 December 2021 update

The Omandongo Mission was declared to be a heritage place by General Notice 273/2014 (GG 5533).

The Equestrian Statue Monument was removed as a national monument from the National Heritage

Register by General Notice 274/2014 (GG 5533).

The King Iipumbu ya Tshilongo Memorial Site was declared to be a heritage place by General Notice

275/2014 (GG 5533).

Shark Island in Luderitz (//Kharas Region) and Driedoornvlagte Fossil Reef (Hardap Region) are

declared to be heritage places by General Notice 23/2019 (GG 6844).

Appointments: Council appointments under the previous Act were announced in GN 76/1991 (GG

232), GN 318/1996 (GG 1462), GN 270/2000 (GG 2444) and GN 20/2003 (GG 2915). Council

appointments under this Act were announced in GN 82/2009 (GG 4260) and GN 94/2011 (GG 4747).

INTERNATIONAL LAW
Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),

1945

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003

Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 2005

Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, 2001

See also CULTURE AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.