District Six museum needs help from public

THE District Six Museum is facing closure and has appealed for public support. The museum, which opened its doors in 1994, said the number of its visitors had been decreasing slowly, and this was unlikely to change in the near future.

The museum’s acting director, Chrischené Julius, said: “While we may have gone to lockdown level 2, we do not foresee increasing visitor numbers in the next six months.

“We went from hosting over 69 000 self-guided visits and over 7 500 guided visits to zero visitors to the museum since the announcement of the lockdown in March.”

Julius said after the Covid-19 pandemic began that the financial and food insecurity felt by many had been overwhelming for staff.

“The museum covers its operational expenses, which includes staff salaries and administrative costs, through the income generated by feet through the door … We have conducted over 1 000 customised programmes with local and international schools and universities. As an independent museum, these activities are the bedrock for ensuring that we cover our costs,” she said.

The museum is an integral part of the District Six community. It serves as a memorial to the forced removal of 60 000 inhabitants of various races in the 1970s during the apartheid era.

It offers programmes for current inhabitants to help develop the district, and it is dedicated to the construction of housing, environmental planning, and the organisation of music, literature and art activities, with the involvement of the public.

Residents of the area, when their houses were demolished, were handed eviction notices; the residents called these notices “love letters”.

“This was a cynical comment on the casual indifference handed down by the apartheid state, who saw only a ‘black spot’ that had to be removed, and not the deep ties that bound a community together. We are now asking for the public to send us love letters but with real love.

“We are asking for a monthly donation of R50; this is the value of an entrance fee; and for a once-off donation of R110 – this is the value of a guided visit. Larger donations are welcome,” said Julius.