Mandela House Museum
AVAILABLE: Guided Tours | Family Friendly | Virtual Tour | Online Shop | OPEN: Monday – Sunday | MORE INFO: Museum Website | Facebook Page | Instagram Page | YouTube Channel
Introduction
Located at 8115 Orlando West Soweto, the Mandela House Museum is a symbol of South Africa’s struggle for freedom and the sacrifices that were made to achieve it. The house is a witness to the Mandela family’s struggles and their contribution to the country’s liberation.
About the Museum
The Mandela House Museum is managed by the Apartheid Museum on behalf of the Soweto Heritage Trust. The house, built in 1945 as part of a Johannesburg City tender for new houses in Orlando, is small in structure but large in its testimony of the Mandela family’s immense struggles for a free South Africa.
Nelson Mandela moved into the house with his first wife Evelyn Ntoko Mase in 1946, and later welcomed his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in 1957. Though Mandela’s years from this point on were deeply absorbed into struggle activities with little time at home, Winnie became publicly subjected to harassment, torture, and imprisonment.
In 1988, the Mandela’s beloved house was burnt to the ground by a fire, following conflict between the Mandela United Football Club which Winnie led, and pupils from Daliwonga High School. However, the community came together to help rebuild the Mandela’s house, and 11 years later, in 1999, the house was awarded the status of a public heritage site, with Nelson Mandela as the Founder Trustee.
Interesting Facts
- Vilakazi Street, where the Mandela House Museum is located, is home to two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates – Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The street also memorializes Hector Pietersen who was killed by police in the 1976 student uprising, making him an international icon in the fight against the Apartheid government.
- Dr. BW Vilakazi, the street’s namesake, was an intellectual, poet, and novelist who was the first black man to teach at the University of Witwatersrand (WITS). Vilakazi helped develop the isiZulu dictionary, as well as the written form of isiZulu and siSwati.
- In 2008, the Mandela House Museum underwent a major restoration and restructuring project, focused on maintaining heritage preservation and conservation.
Photo Gallery
Physical Location
Conclusion
The Mandela House Museum is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history of South Africa’s struggle for freedom. It provides an authentic insight into the life and times of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, and the sacrifices that were made by their family to achieve a free South Africa. The restoration of the house is an example of the community’s commitment to preserving the country’s heritage and ensuring that future generations can learn from the past.
