Qunu – As part of the Nelson Mandela Day activities this year, staff at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu will clean the graves of liberation heroes and other extraordinary South Africans who contributed to the country’s freedom and democracy.
The museum will also host a fundraising dinner with its proceeds expected to be donated to a charity organisation.
SAnews recently visited the museum in Qunu, where former President Nelson Mandela grew up. Qunu is a small rural village situated south-west of Mthatha on the road between Butterworth and Mthatha.
“We are in partnership with a number of people. We will be doing coaching clinics and we will have experts who will train young people on life skills and we are in the process of selecting participants for the programme,” said the museum’s marketing manager Nokuzola Tetani.
The Nelson Mandela Museum offers a memorable cultural experience that gives insights into the life of the world revered elder statesman. It was established by government as part of the country’s national heritage sites.
Tetani said over the years, the Nelson Mandela Museum has positively responded by making a difference to communities in the Eastern Cape and has restored visible sites relating to Nelson Mandela.
“We are hoping to have a memorial lecture and invite comrades to create awareness of our struggle. We are also in the process of identifying a needy household in Qunu where, together with young people, we will clean, renovate the buildings and provide all the necessary support to that family”.
There will also be visits to schools where youngsters are expected to clean and rehabilitate these structures.
A competition in schools is also being held and learners were requested to go to their communities and research about the country’s heroes and heroines and these may not necessarily be politicians.
“We told them to find anyone who has made a contribution - it could be a teacher, a pastor - anyone who makes a change and whoever is selected from the students will be a winner”. – SAnews.gov.za
