Lwandle residents were exhilarated as they celebrated the 22nd anniversary of Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum in the area on Sunday 1 May.
The event was organised by the museum together with the local Inkcubeko Yethu Project.
The museum is a memorial to the system of migrant labour, single-sex hostels and control of black workers through the identity document, which controlled the lives of black South Africans under apartheid.
The museum board member Vuyiseka Bobotyana described the event as a special day to the community to celebrate their history. She said the museum exhibit the history of Lwandle during the apartheid era.
“Today we are not just commemorating the museum, which was established on 1 May 2000,” explained Bobotyana. “Also to showcase the handwork that is done by the members of Inkcubeko Yethu. We have dedicated women who are doing beads and crouching who are part of the event.”
She stated the aim is to uplift and develop the area so it becomes a better place.
Giving the background of the area, Bobotyana said it was established in 1958 with hostel-type accommodation for workers of the nearby fruit and canning industry. She added hostels were intended only for single men. “Hostels provided very basic accommodation with four to six men occupying a small confined space with an entire block sharing rudimentary ablution facilities. In the 1980s as the control of the flow of people from rural areas was eased, the hostels became even more overcrowded.”
Member of Inkcubeko Yethu project Nokhaya Magagana described the event as informative. She cited that their project is basically doing traditional attire.
“We are trying to revive our culture,” she said. “We want people to be proud of who they are and where they come from. By working with the museum we want to educate our youth about our history together with our culture.”
Resident Nolulamo Nana reiterated Magagana’s sentiments that the museum has vast historic information, which assists people in their studies.
“The museum is helpful to young people,” she said. “We are able to learn about our area and how it was established. It also gives us another view of how people especially black people were treated during apartheid regime.”