20110102
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A museum built to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela is turning into a national embarrassment forcing Cameron Dugmore, former Western Cape education minister, to vow to raise his concerns about the heritage site with the premier of the Eastern Cape.

Dugmore visited the site last Sunday and was left standing alone in an open-air museum without a guide.

As if that is not enough, Mandela's grandson, Mandla, this week criticised museum management of undermining the Madiba legacy. The official museum tour excludes Mandela's birthplace, Mvezo.

The museum's management, however, denies any wrongdoing. They claim instead the museum is becoming increasingly popular - to the point where it is in fact battling to cope with the large number of visitors.

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Dugmore prompted a flurry of comments on the internet after writing about his museum experience on Facebook.

"I was with family on the way to Durban. My daughters had read books about Nelson Mandela's early years and we wanted them to see the museum. There was supposed to be a multimedia centre - but there was a really arbitrary video playing there. No guide at all," he told the Sunday Times.

"I did not see any other visitors when we arrived at about noon. I saw a vehicle arrive when we were leaving. 'It is an issue worth following up," Dugmore said.

Mandla Mandela said the museum was a "white elephant" that had alienated itself from the local Qunu community, as well as from the nearby Mvezo community where Mandela was born.

He said the museum had declined to collaborate with the Mandela family on heritage matters.

"They don't work with Mvezo anymore. They have totally omitted Mvezo from their books. We have continuously come to their (museum) offices and asked for a relationship, because of the name that we hold of the family. But they have showed no interest, so we have also given up.

"Hopefully one day they will see the light and realise that there is a keenness on the part of the community of Mvezo to work together," Mandela said.

He said the local Qunu chief was snubbed by museum officials who did not invite him to an official museum function involving the former minister of arts and culture, Lulu Xingwana.

"There wasn't a single person from Qunu. The community was not even informed about the function. I think they lack the collectiveness approach that was embraced by my grandfather," Mandela said.

Spokesperson for the Museum, Nokuzola Tetani, denied excluding the Mandela clan and said the institution continued to take visitors on tours of Mvezo.

Increase in visitors

She said a recent increase in visitor numbers meant there was sometimes a shortage of guides at the main museum complex: "There is an increase in demand for visiting the other sites directly associated with Mandela.

"That may be the problem that we did not foresee."

She said the museum worked closely with the community, and with members of Mandela's family.

"Our guides do take visitors to Mvezo. We have not encountered any problems so far."

According to the museum's website, however, Mvezo is excluded as part of the official museum tour.

"Mvezo is not currently operated by the museum," the website says.

Officially opened by Nelson Mandela 10 years after his release from jail, the Nelson Mandela Museum operates semi-independently, but receives a government grant.

It has two main sites: the open-air Nelson Mandela Youth & Heritage Centre in Qunu, and the Bhunga Building in Mthatha.

In addition to the open-air museum outside Qunu, visitors are escorted around several Mandela sites, including the family graveyard, historical buildings and a large flat granite stone where the young Madiba used to play.

Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman Sello Hatang said the institution was not involved in museum affairs.

The Department of Arts and Culture - a partner in running the museum - could not be reached for comment this week.