South Africa: several museums retracing the country's history are in crisis
Audio 02:17
Liliesleaf Farm, one of the emblematic places of the struggle against apartheid, where in 1963, during a police raid, 19 ANC leaders were arrested.
© RFI / Claire Bargelès
By: Claire Bargelès Follow
6 mins
In South Africa, several museums that retrace the country's history are now in crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic forced many of them to close their doors, and destabilized their economic model, which was already very fragile.
From now on, large institutions but also smaller ones, dedicated in particular to the history of apartheid, are fighting to survive.
Publicity
West of Johannesburg is a small museum that traces the past of the Sophiatown district, a symbol of the artists' struggle against apartheid in the 1940s. “
Here we have kept the remains of Sophiatown, before the forced displacements
», Explains the guide.
Since the pandemic, the center has only been open on request, and only around 20 visitors have passed through the doors each month. Difficult to survive like this according to Violet Mohotloane, in charge of the museum's programs. “
We have had a lot of trouble since 2018. And then last year, we couldn't continue, we had to part with 10 employees. We just have some income from small events that we organize, we use it to pay for water, electricity, and to continue some projects,
”she says.
The better-known institutions have also been violently affected by the crisis, such as the Apartheid Museum, or the Liliesleaf farm, which served as a hiding place for ANC activists.
“
We are here in what used to be Nelson Mandela's bedroom.
As you can see, she is very small, maybe even smaller than her cell on Robben Island,
”says Nicholas Wolpe.
Lack of public sector support
This independent museum needs almost 50,000 euros per month to operate. A fundraising campaign allows him for now to survive until August. But the rest is uncertain, which despairs its director Nicholas Wolpe. “
To sum up, the situation makes me very sad, it upsets me. If we do not act, and we do not stop the destruction of our historic sites, one day we will wake up and realize that there is nothing more to save. And if there is nothing more to save, who are we as a people? We will lose our soul.
"
Between the lack of aid from the public sector, and legislative problems to raise funds in the private sector, Nicholas Wolpe is not surprised that many institutions are in difficulty today.
“
The Covid highlighted the fragility of the sector, which was already struggling to receive funds.
The arts, culture and heritage sector must secure funding and this must become a priority.
"
Other establishments, for their part, have to face management problems, such as Nelson Mandela's house in Soweto, which is currently being liquidated.
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