PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay is going back in time… very far back with the town's first history festival which is set to showcase the area's rich and unique cultural and historical heritage.
Dubbed the Watercourse History Fest, the event is set to take place over three days next month and will be directed by local media development consultant and publisher of the Watermark Press series, resident Mike Kantey.
The festival will offer a variety of programmes for residents and visitors to experience the Southern Cape's unique cultural heritage and historical resources.
Kantey and his team have developed a schedule to tell the story of early modern humans and the "first people" of the Southern Cape.
Organisers have developed presentations and debates to introduce two eras in the area's history: the period of early modern humans and the so-call "first people" – also known as the Khoekhoen and "Bushmen".
The programme is set to kick off on 13 February at the Piesang Valley Hall and will include a presentation on early modern humans at the Klasies River Mouth. This presentation will be done by University of the Witwatersrand professor, Sarah Wurz. This will be followed by a presentation on early rock art. During the afternoon there will be an open public debate on: "Can the evidence of science be reconciled with religious faith?" The debate will be led by former cosmologist Martin Wolfaardt.
The following day anthropology expert, Professor Mike de Jongh, is scheduled to speak about the Hessequa of the Southern Cape. This will be followed by a talk from the Griqua National Council about the latest book on the official history of the Griqua nation. After this there will be another debate, this time led by member of the national Khoisan council executive committee, Ron Martin.
Because it will be Valentine's Day, the Old Nick Village will host a festival of romance including food, live music, chocolate and craft beer.
The history festival will draw to a close on 15 February with a talk on popular history, biographies and memoirs. Author of the popular Langbourne series, Alan Landau will also talk about the ill-fated Shangani Patrol.
One of South Africa's top nature and travel writers David Bristow will also present his latest book, Twenty Amazing Places in South Africa: Hominis Hunter-Gatherers and Heroes.
Local resident Leigh Dunn will end the festival off by walking guests from the beautifully restored Old Rectory's car park, up to the boundary stone set up by Baron van Plettenberg in the 1700s and talk about the early families of Plettenberg Bay who became victims of the Group Areas Act two hundred years later.
'We bring you the latest Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route news'
