3 September 2004

By Robert Tlholoe

SINCE opening in 1995, the Mogale City Museum has attracted a large number of visitors, with local residents recognising the importance of their heritage.

Museum curator Ishmael Mbhokodo, who took over the reins last year, said he had noticed a significant increase in the number of visitors over the past year.

In the past black people had been excluded from various exhibitions, which were usually held for white residents.

Today all of Mogale City's residents can access the facilities, as the museum is keen to preserve all that was African so it can be representative of all races.

"We also invite the previously underprivileged black community to send their collections for exhibition," Mbhokodo said.

While most visitors were local residents, the Mogale City Museum also attracts people from all over the country, Mbhokodo said. "People from all over Gauteng visit the museum as it is the only museum which provides information on the emergence of humans, the Iron Age and Stone Age," he added.

The museum has embarked on an advertising campaign to increase awareness. "In making things happen we have included community local structures, heritage society and also conducted cultural programmers to create awareness."

Mbhokodo urged members of local communities to become involved with the museum and make suggestions on how to preserve the area's heritage.

The Mogale City Museum officially opened its doors in 1995 with exhibitions based on the local history and culture as well as the archaeological findings in the world-famous Sterkfontein Caves.

The role mining played in the establishment and development of the town of Krugersdorp, and the geology and geography of the Witwatersrand feature in the exhibits on show.

"For curriculum support, we have managed to conduct art workshops in various schools to present the history of Cradle of Humankind, the early arrival of the Batswana, Witwatersrand mining history, the South African War and give them a taste of historical life," Mbhokodo added.

But the exhibits are not restricted to within the building, as the museum staff also conduct community-based exhibitions and run educational and cultural tours in and around the town.

"We also plan to have a mobile exhibition, which will be able to reach communities as far as Tarlton, Hekpoort and other farm areas situated far from the Mogale Central Business District town."

The Mogale City Museum aims to provide community-orientated heritage conservation services in a holistic manner. As Mbhokodo pointed out, the museum's philosophy is: Mogale City is the Museum.

Source: Dikgang Tsa Mogale