Apartheid Museum reopens with official launch of new Desmond Tutu Exhibition
|Published
The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg is celebrating its reopening after closing its doors during the pandemic.
The date of the reopening celebration – August 20 – was an auspicious one as it was on the same day in 1983 that the United Democratic Front (UDF) was launched in Mitchells Plain in Cape Town.
This was an umbrella grouping uniting hundreds of organisations around the country in the fight against the Tricameral Parliament.
At the opening ceremony, VIP guests were welcomed by the Gingoma Yase Africa marimba band while they sipped on cocktails at the Ammil Gin Bar set up on the museum rooftop.
Guests then made their way to the museum auditorium where the Wits choir had everyone on their feet dancing.
Keynote speaker, mayor Mpo Phalatse, the museum’s curator Emilia Potenza and Charlene Houston from the Tutu Foundation passionately addressed the audience about the Apartheid Museum and the new Tutu Exhibition.
Museum manager Vinolia Hlagwana and museum operations manager Andre Hudson opened and closed the proceedings.
“We are delighted to be able to welcome visitors back,” said Potenza.
“And if you are one of those South Africans that hasn’t visited the museum yet, make this important pilgrimage with your family now. It will profoundly affect your understanding of the painful journey we have travelled as a country and offer courage and hope for dealing with the challenges we face today,” she said.
The Wits choir sang while they led the guests from the auditorium to the Hall of Gatherings where they enjoyed an energetic performance by singer Lloyd Cele and delicious canapés.
Potenza then took the guests on a personal guided tour of the new Desmond Tutu Exhibition.
“What a great man that really played a huge role in fighting for our democracy and fighting for the dream of a rainbow nation in South Africa. We do not ever want to forget what he stood for, what he fought for and it’s so important to preserve his history and his legacy for our generation and for generations to come,’’ commented mayor Mpho Phalatse.
“I am very grateful for the work of the apartheid museum in capturing all of that history. I look forward to bringing my own children here so they can learn about Archbishop Desmond Tutu,” she said.
The Truth to Power exhibition at the Apartheid Museum is currently open and runs until April 2023.
The Apartheid Museum’s current opening hours are Wednesdays to Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 5pm.
Adults: R150
Pensioners, students and children: R100.
Learners: R55.
Teachers: R60.
Visit the Apartheid Museum. Learn from the past. Make a pledge to fight racism and discrimination wherever you may encounter it. Commit yourself to build our democracy.
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