The Castle of Good Hope celebrated Freedom Day, marked annually on April 27, with the opening of an exhibition called #thehandsofmen, which focuses on gender-based violence and gangsterism.
They also held a human rights dialogue, where heritage activists, along with representatives of the South African Human Rights Commission and military veterans, reflected on the social ills plaguing society.
Castle Control Board CEO, Calvyn Gilfellan, said one of the Castle’s missions is to build an internationally recognised cultural and heritage brand known for Ubuntu, dialogue, nation-building and human rights recognition for all South Africans, including all foreign nationals living within its borders.
“Human rights apply to all people; therefore, everyone in the country is entitled to human rights by being human.
“The relevance and timing of this dialogue and cultural activities is its response to previous violent attacks on foreign nationals in a non-racial, non-sexist, accessible, and democratic South Africa.
“The Castle Control Board firmly believes that the authentic voices of the communities must be heard and believes that healthy communities will result in a healthy society and a nation that promotes social cohesion.”
The audience was also entertained with stories from ex-military veterans who were in exile during apartheid.