Liliesleaf Farm Museum is a national heritage site of the highest order considering that it was established to honour the struggle stalwarts that included Nelson Mandela and a host of other Rivonia Trialists.
The news of its closure came as a shock to many and left the veterans of the governing African National Congress stunned and distraught at the turn of events. ANC Veterans’ League president, Dr Snuki Zikalala is adamant that such a historic heritage site that harboured archives recording the ANC, Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) and South African histories would be a loss if it is allowed to close its door permanently.
“It is a very important museum, it is historical site as it keeps the archives of the Rivonia trial. We are really stunned by the turn of events. But I was briefed by the CEO that the museum had no more funds to run,” Zikalala said.
It was initially a humbly farm with a farm house that had a thatched hut that still stands on the premises today. The property was bought by South African Communist Party members Arthur Goldreich and Harold Wolpe, who is father of the museum CEO, Nick Wolpe. The two intended to use the property a hideout for the Party’s underground activities and as a safe house for top ANC leaders who initiated the pioneering MK military work.
Goldreich subsequently went to stay in Israel and Wolpe was in exile in India for a long time and he lectured at the Essex University in England. They both returned to South Africa following the unbanning of the SACP, ANC and other political organisations in 1990.
The farm became the secret headquarters of MK High Command led by Nelson Mandela with a few others. This was where the respectable freedom fighters, considered to be the fathers of the African National Congress’s armed revolution, planned their acts of sabotage against the apartheid state.
It was also on the farm situated in Rivonia north of Johannesburg, where on 11 July 1963 the farm was raided by Apartheid police with 19 of them arrested and charged with 193 counts of sabotage. The largest group of political prisoners appeared in what became known as the ‘Rivonia Trial’ and subsequently each sentenced to long jail terms including death sentences for Mandela and others.
Last year the Museum closed down – marking the end of an era and perhaps the closure of a chapter in the black liberation struggle against the Apartheid system. Without doubt closure means one thing that the significant site is headed for the ruins.
Some would say Mandela and other struggle heroes should be turning in their graves about the events that led to the place closing down. It precipitated financial hardship that includes the crisis of unpaid employees who are struggling to make ends meet and to pay their financial obligations to creditors.
Corruption is suspected to be the cause after a whopping R8,1 million given by government as funding was allegedly not accounted for.
The museum board not only failed to account for the funds but also was yet to produce a forensic report as required in terms of a memorandum of understanding entered with the Department of Sports Arts and Culture when a whopping R9 million was offered as part of renovating the place. The department withheld the remaining R900 000 due to the failure of the museum trust to account for the money initially given to it.
Liliesleaf was funded by the taxpayer around R70m over 13 years, with an additional R1.8 million budgeted for the 2020/2021 financial year
However, despite agreeing with Minister Nathi Mthethwa to undertake a forensic investigation into the matter, the museum board led by former President Kgalema Motlanthe was yet to produce a report. Subsequently the Department withdrew funding to the Liliesleaf until the funds were accounted for.
The Museum was first closed because of Covid-19 lockdown and staff were promised by CEO, Nick Wolpe that they would be paid during the period, but he reneged on the undertaking.
Now its staff were left to fight for their dues but with nobody entertaining their cries for help. Tired of being sent from pillar to post by the Museum management about the non-payment of their salaries, the staff resorted to approaching United Democratic Movement leader, Major-General (Retired) Bantu Holomisa for help. Holomisa is taking up the matter on their behalf with the Department.
He is questioning why the staff had to suffer as a result of the management and the board’s alleged corruption and mismanagement.
“What happened to the R8.1 million. Why are the workers being made the victims in this scenario,” Holomisa asked.
He is known for being a champion of anti-corruption having led the whistle-blowing of the corruption goings-on at the Public Investment Corporation, among others. He also had a history of fighting graft in the former Transkei where he led a military coup against Stella Sigcau and the Matanzima dynasty.
He was expelled from the governing ANC where he was a member of the powerful National Executive Committee and Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs in the Mandela Administration. The leaders later founded the UDM which he as a vehicle to champion the plight of poor communities by knocking on government’s doors to raise their problems with politicians and senior officials.
Holomisa is the last hope for the distraught employees, who were told by the Museum Board of Trustees that the Museum was bankrupt and besides it was under investigation for the money that was unaccounted since 2015 when it was given. Holomisa has written to Minister Nathi Mthethwa asking him to intervene to address the employees problem.
The only means of survival for Liliesleaf was either to be kept by the Department and treated as an extension of the National Heritage Council’s Freedom Park Museum to be used as a tourist attraction. Or the building sold and the entire historic exhibition items moved to the Freedom Park in Pretoria.
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation director Nishan Bolton felt the museum should not close for it played an important role in memory and common understand of the country’s past. Kathrada is one of the Rivonia trialists who served time in jail alongside Mandela and others.
“The closure of any heritage and cultural space is something that South Africa can ill afford especially at a time when the country needs to have a common understanding of our past. We hope this matter will be address so that the museum can function and continue to play its role for our memory and that of the future generation to have a common understanding of our past,” Bolton said.
ANCVL’s Zakalala suggested that as the museum was privately run Minister Mthethwa and the museum board my reach an agreement for the Department to take it over and run it as a public entity.
Zikalala said: “It was well kept but we know it was also affected by Covid-19 and the lack of tourists as a result. But it is an important part of our history that we cannot let die like that.”
