Historic birthplace of ANC declared a heritage site

THE historic birthplace of the ANC, the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church in Bloemfontein, has been declared a national heritage site more than seven years after the Free State provincial government bought the building for R10 million.

The building was previously a panel-beating workshop and the provincial government renovated it in time for the ANC’S centenary celebrations in January 2012.

In 1912, several prominent African leaders such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Saul Msane, Sol Plaatje and WB Rubusana were joined by traditional and religious leaders to establish the Native National Congress.

Eleven years later, in 1923, it changed its name to ANC. According to the SA Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra), the church has special significance in terms of its heritage criteria and has the desirability to be declared a national heritage site.

In July 2011, the provincial government bought the rundown church for R10 million after lengthy negotiations with Kevin Jacobs, who had bought it for R280 000 in 2003.

ANC provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko said the Free State department of sport, arts, culture and recreation submitted the written motivation for the church to be declared a national heritage site.

The department told Independent Media that it made the request several years ago.

The ANC was also planning to turn its former head office in London into a museum. It was declared a heritage site by the City of London. The ruling party used the property between 1978 and 1994.

According to the ANC, the building would be refurbished and its ground floor used as a museum to keep the Struggle history alive. Its upper floors would be turned into residential units for renting or be sold. The London building was worth R10m and was part of the ANC’S property portfolio worth nearly R310m across the world.

It has assigned the Liliesleaf Trust the responsibility of developing the building as a heritage site and linking it with the historical Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia.

The party has two more properties in London and others in Tanzania and Belgium valued at R81.5m and R7m.

Last year Shell House, the ANC’S first head office in South Africa after its unbanning in 1990, started welcoming tenants. The 23-storey Joburg building was bought by Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI) from the Anc-owned Dakawa Properties but the party owns a 25% stake in HCI Propco 4, a subsidiary of HCI. Part of Shell House was also reserved for heritage purposes.