Cultural Affairs and Sports
The District Six Museum in Cape Town is reportedly facing closure due to financial constraints:
- Whether she and her Department have any comment on whether the story of District Six – the forced removal of people and the stories of the families – need to be told, preserved and memorialised; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether she has had any engagements with the District Six Museum’s trustees or management; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether her Department has made any funding allocation to the Museum; if so, (a) what amount and (b) in which financial years (including the current and three previous years);
(4) whether her Department made any financial commitment to the Museum for future financial years; if so, what are the relevant details;
(5) whether she has taken any steps to save the Museum from closure; if not, why not; if so, what are they?
- Whether she and her Department have any comment on whether the story of District Six – the forced removal of people and the stories of the families – need to be told, preserved and memorialised; if so, what are the relevant details;
The Department envisions a socially inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape. As part of the strategy to create such social inclusion, the department actively promotes and encourages the transformation of the heritage landscape through its affiliated museums. Museums are affiliated to the Department via the Museums Ordinance No. 8 of 1975. Unfortunately, the District Six Museum is not affiliated to the Department. Nevertheless, the Department considers the District Six Museum to be an important partner and stakeholder in transforming the heritage landscape through preserving the rich cultural heritage of District Six in the Western Cape. In 2012 the Department extended an offer to the District Six Museum to be proclaimed as an affiliated museum. However, at the time, this offer was declined by the management of the District Six Museum.
- whether she has had any engagements with the District Six Museum’s trustees or management; if so, what are the relevant details;
The department recently had two important engagements with the District Six Museum.
The first was in 2019 when the museum applied to the Department via the Western Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (WCPGNC) to have the suburb previously known as Zonnebloem changed to District Six. The Department via the WCPGNC was able to guide the museum in successfully applying for the name change. The application was supported by Minister Marais and eventually approved by the National Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture.
The second was now in 2020 through the Departments call for applications for museums in the province to access COVID-19 relief funding. The District Six Museum was successful with their application and received R 334,109.62 from the department.
- whether her Department has made any funding allocation to the Museum; if so, (a) what amount and (b) in which financial years (including the current and three previous years);
Since the District Six Museum is not affiliated to the Department, the Department does not make available annual financial resources to the museum as the resources are allocated to its affiliated museums. However, the Department has made available R 334,109.62 to the District Museum as part of the 2020 COVID-19 relief funds to museums in the province.
- whether her Department made any financial commitment to the Museum for future financial years; if so, what are the relevant details;
There is currently no future financial commitment to the District Six Museum as it is not an affiliated museum of the Department.
- whether she has taken any steps to save the Museum from closure; if not, why not; if so, what are they?
Yes, the Department has made available R 334,109.62 to the District Museum as part of the 2020 COVID-19 relief funds to assist the museum with the loss of revenue during the lockdown period. In addition, the Department remains open to engage with the District Six Museum concerning possible future affiliation to ensure its financial sustainability.
