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GRIM REMINDER: A house in Brandfort where ANC veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela stayed after she was banished to the Free State in 1977. PHOTO: MABUTI KALI

 We love her a lot and she deserves to be treated with dignity 

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The provincial government announced in August last year that it would convert the house into a museum to honour her as part of the ANC's centenary celebrations.

Madikizela-Mandela had lived in the house for many years while banished to Brandfort by the apartheid government.

The project was supposed to have been launched during Women's Month last August.

Construction work was expected to have been completed early this year.

However, when Sowetan visited last week, the house was still in its old state.

The kitchen door and windows were broken with only the SA national flag flying at the entrance.

Weeds had grown near the house and the gate to the structure was missing.

Neighbours fear that the house could be used by criminals as their "hideout". People were seen walking in and out of the yard.

Free State sport, arts and culture spokesman Tankiso Zola last year said that the department was facilitating the establishment of the museum.

The department, he said, had set aside R3-million for the project.

Madikizela-Mandela lived in the house with her youngest daughter, Zindzi, with no running water or electricity, after she was banished to the area in 1977.

Madikizela-Mandela's former house was expected to draw tourists to the sleepy town of Brandfort because they would want to see where the ANC veteran was exiled to during the apartheid era.

One of the residents, Betty France, 73, said the state must build the museum "as soon as possible".

"This house is unoccupied and criminals could take advantage of that and use it as their hideout.

"One day a corpse will be discovered here because crime is rife in this area," France said.

She called on the government to honour Madikizela-Mandela.

William Khothatso, 47, said: "She played a big role in the struggle against apartheid. She is a heroine to many in this area.

"We love her a lot and she deserves to be treated with dignity."

Khothatso occupies the house next to the one in which Madikizela-Mandela was kept. He said he had relocated after noticing that the house was not occupied.

Elizabeth Jonas, 75, who lived in the house after Madikizela-Mandela returned to Gauteng, has been given a three-bedroomed, furnished house by the Free State government.

Free State provincial spokesman Wisani Ngobeni said they had not abandoned the project.

"We have not failed. The project is in the design stage," Ngobeni said.

"When building a museum, it is good to follow necessary processes.

"First we had to move out the occupants of that house and provided them with alternative accommodation," he said.

"We want to restore the house to its original state and it is going to be one of our tourist destinations in the province."

He said after completing the design stage, they would then appoint a construction company to start building. - ntwagaes@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Sat May 25 18:58:25 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 24, 2012

Mmmooohooo

Tjoh, that will be a museum of shame. Stopie's ghost perhaps is lying there.
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Jul 24, 2012

Pointman

The house cost maybe R5 000 to build - why does it need R3m to upgrade. The house must be restored to its original state and not turned into a mansion. Future generations need to see actually how she lived there. And the delay - could be the result of deciding which comrade gets the tender and how much commission gets kicked back.
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Jul 24, 2012

januswanus

Real south African government. Still fighting who should get the tender. Right on comrades fight on.
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Jul 24, 2012

Mmmooohooo

She should keep it, maybe his son (julius) will need it as hotel in when we go to Mangaung
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Jul 24, 2012

truthhurt

Mmmooohooo
Tjoh, that will be a museum of shame. Stopie's ghost perhaps is lying there.
================================================================
You make me sick!
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Jul 24, 2012

hulas

Who would want to visit this house?
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Jul 24, 2012

DJWinner

Is this not the house where Stompie was kidnapped and murdered?
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Jul 24, 2012

MommaC

"We want to restore the house to its original state and it is going to be one of our tourist destinations in the province."

Brandfort a tourist destination????
Even the people who live there would prefer not to so I find it a bit difficult to imagine it as a booming tourist destination
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Jul 24, 2012

golezwa

a door, windows, roofs, paint and some of the utensils she used to use in the house, all combined will cost at most R50 000, the house needs to be revemped not rebuilt, so can someone explain R3m????
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Jul 24, 2012

KeRataBasadi

It should be a graveyard. For obvious reasons.
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