In South Africa, several museums that trace the country’s history are now in crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has driven many of them to close their doors and has destabilized their economic model, which was already very fragile. Now large institutions but also smaller ones, especially dedicated to the history of apartheid, are struggling to survive.
West of Johannesburg is a small museum that traces the Sophiatown district, a symbol of the artists’ struggle against apartheid in the 1940s. “Here we kept the remains of Sophiatown, before forcing the relocations,” the guide explains.
Since the pandemic, the center has only been open on request and only about 20 visitors have walked in the doors each month. Hard to survive like this according to Violet Mohotloane, responsible for the museum’s program. “We have had a lot of problems since 2018. And since last year we could not continue, we had to share with ten employees. We only have some income from small events that we organize, we use them to pay for water, electricity and to continue some projects, she says.
The more well-known institutions were also hit hard 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 support from the public sector
This independent museum needs almost 50,000 euros a month to function. A fundraising campaign enables him to survive until August. But the rest is uncertain, which despairs its director Nicholas Wolpe. “In summary, the situation makes me very sad, it makes me upset. If we do not act and do not stop the destruction of our historic sites, we will one day wake up and realize that there is nothing more to save. And if there is no more to save, who are we as a people? We will lose our soul. ”
Between the lack of support from the public sector and legislative problems to raise money in the private sector, Nicholas Wolpe is not surprised that many institutions are in difficulty today. Coviden emphasized the fragility of the sector, which was already struggling to receive funding. The arts, culture and heritage sector must secure funding and this must become a priority. ”
Other facilities, on the other hand, have to deal with management problems, such as Nelson Mandela’s house in Soweto, which is currently being closed down.
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