To advance this agenda, the Ministry of Culture convened a meeting with the Gowa District government at Balla Lompoa in Gowa on Monday.
During the meeting, the ministry's Director General of Cultural Diplomacy, Promotion, and Cooperation, Endah Renoastuti, emphasized the importance of executing the replication project in 2025 or 2026 to strengthen Indonesia's cultural diplomacy in South Africa.
On that note, she highlighted that South Africa is holding the G20 presidency this year, while the following year will mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of Sheikh Yusuf, an Islamic cleric from Gowa renowned for his influence in the African country.
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"This time frame holds strategic value, presenting us with the right moment to showcase Indonesian culture, especially that of Gowa, to Indonesian diaspora members and also residents of South Africa," Renoastuti said.
She also commented that the Ministry of Culture is ready to take all steps to promote Indonesian culture abroad, including collaborating with the private sector.
Renoastuti also underlined that her office had established the Indonesian Heritage Agency, tasked with overseeing and managing museums and cultural heritage sites, in cooperation with business actors and cultural activists.
Also present at the meeting, Gowa District Head Sitti Husniah Talenrang praised the central government's attention to showcasing Gowa's culture to the international community.
"The planned Balla Lompoa replica in Cape Town will stand not just as a mere building, but as a symbol of the Gowa diaspora's longing for the land of their ancestors," Talenrang remarked.
She added that the Gowa government had allocated a budget for the implementation of the project.
"We are not pessimistic. If the project cannot be completed this year, we hope that at least a groundbreaking will take place soon," Talenrang said.
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Translator: Muh H, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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