Community up in arms over Tambo museum site’s neglect
DESPITE the government investing millions into sprucing up Nkantolo village, villagers say a garden of remembrance to honour the memory of late legendary ANC leader, Oliver Reginald Tambo, still needs plenty of work.
Government officials, however, insist that the criticism is unfair and that construction of the project has begun.
Eastern Cape Arts and culture MEC Pemmy Majodina said there were 19 items in place for the multimillion-rand development of the O R Tambo Garden of Remembrance.
“The garden is not neglected. There are 19 items lined up for development, including a wall of remembrance, pavilion, amphitheatre, memorial library, a R10.2-million statue of Tambo and a community arts and craft centre.
“The construction [team] has already demolished the rondavels which were torched by arsonists.
“This development will befit the status of O R Tambo,” she said.
“We are there and active and we are creating huge [numbers of] jobs for the people of Nkantolo,’’ said Majodina yesterday.
She said it was “mischievous” to say the garden was neglected. Majodina said that they had already spent more than R23-million in turning the O R Tambo homestead into a memorial.
When the Daily Dispatch team visited the garden this week, nothing much of the project was visible. There was a patch of overgrown grass, some of it growing over foundation trenches and iron rods in the ground.
The facility, which has already been vandalised, was officially opened by president Thabo Mbeki in 2006 and declared a national heritage site.
Tambo’s relatives say they have been trying to get the government to fix it and build a museum to preserve his memory for years – to no avail.
Tambo’s nephew, Mzukisi Tambo, however, applauded the government for other major developments in Nkantolo.
But Mzukisi said the O R Tambo Garden of Remembrance – where Tambo’s father Mzimeli Lokomane Frederick Tambo, mother Julia stepmother Manjiyela and his uncle Segetshe are buried – is an eyesore.
“It looks like a playing field, a place that has been neglected.
“There is nothing here except the graves and the bricks and iron rods that have been dumped here. “It is currently nothing and does not compare at all to the contribution that was made by O R Tambo,” said 56-year-old Mzukisi.
While they appreciated the government upgrade of the Tambo homestead and the graves, he said some promises were yet to be met.
“We were promised a big statue and proper museum to keep up the legacy of O R Tambo, but now there is no word,” he added.
“These will attract tourists, just as is the case with the Nelson Mandela Museum, Qunu, Mvezo and Ekuruleni. The desired development in this site will serve to inspire future generations of young people to embrace the ideals that O R dedicated his life to. But six years down the line the site lies neglected,” Mzukisi said.
On September 5 2011, then Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile came to Nkantolo to announce multimillion-rand developments for the area, including a museum and interpretation centre. His visit came three months after villagers threatened to boycott the May 2011 municipal elections due to a lack of development there.
Mashatile said at the time that the National Heritage Council and provincial government planned to build a R20-million museum and erect “a much bigger statue of O R Tambo.
“Everything should be done by 2012,” Mashatile promised.
Mashatile said Nkantolo had to be developed in the same way that Nelson Mandela’s birthplace and childhood home – Mvezo and Qunu – were developed by government for tourism.
“Nkantolo must fit Tambo’s status. Money is available. We commit ourselves to the development of Nkantolo, as we did in Mvezo and Qunu,” Mashatile had said.
Mashatile announced that the government had already bought Tambo’s house in England and declared it a heritage site.
“So here let us fix roads, homesteads and graves and build monuments so that tourists can see how we care about this man,” Mashatile said.
President Jacob Zuma announced in 2011 that a R24.8-million statue would be erected in the garden.
Mbizana mayor Daniswa Mafumbatha said this week that the government had not forgotten about the garden of remembrance.
“We are now busy with procurement processes and will start construction of the O R Tambo Garden of Remembrance. An interpretation centre and the statue will be built as promised. We are delivering our promise,” Mafumbata said.
But he declined to comment on the demand for a proper museum rather than an interpretation centre.
“Some of the time-frames and monies will be unpacked by the president tomorrow [today],” Mafumbata said.
Mafumbata said they would like the garden of remembrance in Nkantolo to be similar to the one in Ekuruleni.
In October 2014, arsonists torched memorabilia including portraits and files, setting fire to a bronze bust and damaging buildings there.
Tambo, the former ANC president and Umkhonto weSizwe commander, spent more than 30 years in exile campaigning against apartheid and for the release of political prisoners in the early 1990s, including global icon Nelson Mandela.
He died in 1993. —