This past Workers’ Day (Sunday 1 May), Lwandle residents celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.
The day’s festivities, held in partnership with the Inkcubeko Yethu Project and Rise n Shine dance group, featured a fashion exhibition as well as details of the history of a proud community resource.
The Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum was founded to remind locals of the origins of their township and commemorate the migrant workers who had lived there when it was the site of hostels. Lwandle (which means “sea” in English) was established in 1958 as a dormitory site housing male migrant workers.
The museum was opened on Workers’ Day in 2000, and it includes Hostel 33 and the old community hall.
Fast forward 22 years later, and the museum hosts the Inkcubeko Yethu Project, a local empowerment initiative for local women who get together twice a week at the museum to crochet and bead. Inkcubeko Yethu is isiXhosa for “Our Heritage”.
This project is one of the many things the museum provides for the local township community. It is a centre that not only provides projects of historical significance, but is also a setting for uBuntu and community-based activities for residents.
Museum manager Masa Soko says this is a big milestone as the pandemic had impacted the museum financially. “I am happy we could survive the pandemic,” she said.
“There was some positive feedback of the Inkcubeko Yethu Project from the community, and we managed to bounce back despite not being open to visitors for a while.”
The anniversary celebrations included live music from local deck spinners DJ Dru and DJ Pablo, a modelling showcase of crocheted and beaded garments as well as dancing from Rise n Shine dance and music group.
