The Nelson Mandela RouteOne personality towers over the entire Transkei like a
colossus ?? iconic statesman Nelson Mandela was born here
and has made it his home. The Nelson Mandela Route has
been established to give some structure to the visitors
who are interested in the history surrounding this great
man. | |
For real political history buffs, the route starts in King
Williams Town in the Eastern Cape. This town began as a
London-based Missionary Station on the Buffalo
River in 1826. The Mission was destroyed during the Sixth
Frontier War and the town was built on the site. The
Amathole Museum was established in 1884 by the local
Natural History Society and contains the fourth-largest
collection of mammal specimens in the world. Among the
exhibits is the famous wandering hippo Huberta. | |
The grave of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko is also
found here in King Williams Town. | |
The Route goes on to Bisho, which until recently was the
capital of the independent ??Republic?? of the Ciskei. | |
From Bisho there is a scenic drive along the N2 to Umtata
and the Nelson Mandela Museum, which was officially opened
ten years to the day after he was released from prison. | |
After his release from Robben Island, and then Victor
Verster prison in Cape Town, the world??s most famous
convict was elected President of South Africa in 1994.
Since then he received hundreds of thousands of gifts from
countries, individuals and groups, in recognition of the
role he played in bringing democracy to South Africa. In
accepting these gifts, the former president indicated that
he did so on behalf of the people of South Africa and
therefore he wanted to have them kept in safe-keeping for
the benefit and appreciation of the nation. He chose as a
location his hometown of Qunu. | |
The project hit a few obstacles and finally it was decided
that the museum should be spread over three locations:
Umtata, Qunu and the small neighbouring settlement of
Mveso. | |
A display of his life and times is housed in the Bunga,
the Parliament, in Umtata. The museum is divided into
three sections: in the central section is a display of
photos and other visual material that charts the main
events in Mandela??s life. The other two rooms display the
hundreds upon hundreds of extraordinary gifts that the
former president has received. What makes these gifts so
fascinating is that they often tell us more about the
donor than the recipient. | |
In Qunu, a Community Museum and a Youth and Heritage
Centre has been erected in the village where Mandela spent
his early childhood. You can visit the remains of
Mandela??s primary school, the rock that he used to slide
down with friends, the graveyard where his son, daughter
and parents are buried. Alongside the N2 is also his
current home where he entertains a steady stream of people
from the neighbouring village and all the neighbourhood
children on his birthday. He has built a tunnel under the
N2 so that people can cross the road in safety. His home
is visible from the road but is not open to visitors. | |
The third sector has been established to display and to
protect the remains of the Mandela homestead in Mvezo, the
village that Mandela was born in. The open-air museum
contains the remains of the homestead where he was born
and raised, and a photographic exhibition of moments from
his life. A free guided tour of all three venues can be
arranged through the museum in Umtata. | |
The Route retraces its steps to the City Museum in East
London, which has a superb collection of southern Nguni
beadwork and maritime history displays. It is also home
to the most famous fish in the world, the Coelacanth, and
also displays the only known dodo egg in the world, as well
as a reconstruction of a full-size dodo. Major exhibits
include a complete skeleton of an extinct reptile, a
collection of South African shells and an ethnological and
cultural history of the Xhosa people. | |
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