Our Rich History preserved

[Woestynryer]

Makgolo Makgolo leans across his desk and says quietly: "If I go to the Louvre in Paris to see the Mona Lisa, I don't want to see a reproduction - I want to see the actual painting. I can see a copy in a book at any time."

Makgolo, the newly appointed chief executive of the Northern Flagship Institution (NFI), is explaining just why he believes South African museums should show their treasures to the public.

The skull of Mrs Ples, locked in a vault in the museum of natural history in Pretoria (the old Transvaal Museum), is a case in point. Identified by Robert Broom at the Sterkfontein Caves near Krugersdorp in 1947 and named Plesianthropus, it is the most complete skull of a human ancestor ever unearthed
'If I go the Louvre in Paris to see the Mona Lisa, I don't want to see a reproduction. I want to see the actual painting - I can see a copy in a book at any time. - Makgolo Makgolo '
. Its discovery aroused inter-national interest and, Makgolo believes, would draw visitors from around the world if put on public display.

That, in fact, is exactly what the new chief executive is hoping to achieve in the coming months: Queues of people waiting to get inside South Africa's museums.

"A perception exists that our museums are Afrikaner institutions," he says. "That is not entirely true, though we have to transform many of our exhibits and make them more relevant. Our collections are among the best in the world, but much has never been displayed."

The Northern Flagship Institution, an unwieldy title he hopes will be changed soon, is the name given to some of SA's finest museums in Johannesburg and Pretoria. These include the Transvaal Museum, the National Cultural History Museum, Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum, the Pioneer Museum, Kruger House Museum and the Tswaing Crater Museum in the Tshwane area, and the SA National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg.

Two women have already been appointed to help Makgolo in the transformation process. They are Neo Malao, the dynamic new director of the National Cultural Museum whose job it is to make the exhibitions more representative of the demographics of the country, and Carina Malherbe, an ecologist who is the youngest-ever director of the Transvaal Museum.

Makgolo has the right credentials for his challenging job. While with the Department of Arts and Culture, he succeeded in having five precious places in SA declared world heritage sites: the ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and the St Lucia wetlands in KwaZulu Natal, Robben Island in the Cape, the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng and Mapungubwe, the ancient kingdom in the Limpopo Province. He views this achievement as the highlight of his career.

He describes himself as one of "the Class of '76". He fled SA after the youth uprisings and finished his schooling in Botswana. At university he was so inspired by one of his professors that he decided to study archaeology - the only one in his class to do so. At the time not everyone understood the reasons for his choice, but he wanted to know more of his people's history.

"In this country there had always been a perception that our history started in 1652," he said. "I wanted to reconstruct the past and learn more."

Archaeology was to be a rewarding choice. He worked in the heritage section of the National Museum of Botswana, continued his studies in Texas in the United States and later went to New Zealand where, thanks to a bursary from the anti-apartheid New Zealand Students Union, he obtained his MA (honours) degree.

He returned to Botswana in 1985 to do part-time consultative work, later rejoining the National Museum in Gaborone.
When the new SA came into being, he returned home with his wife and two sons.

He is passionate about museums and the impact they could have on society - but that means people have to be encouraged to visit them. Statistics show that the visitor ratio is low mainly because people are unaware of the treasures housed at the museums.

"Our collections, for instance, include rock from the planet Mars and moon rock," Makgolo says. "The coelacanth found off the East London coast half a century ago is here. Our Genesis Room outlining the evolution of life from 3,6-billion ago, along with fossilised specimens which reveal the diversity of life millions of years ago, are there for all to experience.

"We have superb collections of fauna, mammal-like reptiles dating back 360-million years, as well as insects, butterflies and the world's largest collection of birds. In fact, 90% of southern Africa's birds are represented in our collections. The specimens are here for research or educational purposes, but also to be enjoyed by the public. People just don't know what we have. International visitors come and go without coming to our museums. We have to be more aggressive in our marketing."


The museum's discovery room, where one can touch exhibits, is a huge success.

A top researcher, Francis Thackeray, is preparing a particularly interesting exhibition called Wonderful Things, featuring just some of the interesting pieces housed at the museum.

In his short time at the helm, Makgolo and his team have initiated various programmes to attract public interest. The Transvaal Museum, for instance, is planning family night adventures on June 25 and 26, September 22 and 23 and December 3 and 4.

Families are invited to bring sleeping bags, mugs, porridge plates, spoons and per-sonal effects and join the museum staff to sleep inside the natural history section. The invitation asks families if they could ever imagine what it might be like to camp in one of the display halls of the museum. They are invited to come for the experience. The adventure includes meals, beverages, programmes and a guided tour.

Makgolo says the National Cultural History Museum, as part of its contribution to the 10 years of democracy, is launching the stories of nine families at 149 Visagie Street, Pretoria, on Wednesday. These include the histories of South Africans of various races.

An array of educational programmes - part of Curriculum 2005 Outcomes Based Education - have either been arranged or are planned, including San rock art and archeological exhibitions, displays featuring the history of the Sotho-Tswana people, the Schroda figurines from the Limpopo Province, and even a wall-through street scene showing how the people of Maraba-stad lived before apartheid.

In time, Makgolo says, the gifts given Nelson Mandela - along with his Nobel Peace Prize - will be exhibited.

His vision is clear but, he says, he needs both corporate and media support. The Department of Arts and Culture covers staff salaries but admission fees have to pay the operating expenses.

To encourage visitors, marketing is an imperative. But first there are a few matters to settle.

"We will soon be calling for two name changes," he says. "The Northern Flagship Institution doesn't represent what we are. And the name Transvaal Museum no longer fits. People are invited to suggest new ones."

Supported by the NFI's new board (chaired by Johannesburg-based Mark Reid), Makgolo is determined to make all of South Africa aware of its exciting heritage. He sees the museums as an invaluable tool in uniting the various cultural groups.

"It is time to change the negative perceptions and rejoice in our shared heritage," he says.

Makgolo's museums include:


Pioneer Museum, a small house built by the first farming pioneer to settle in Pretoria more than 100 years ago.


Sammy Marks Museum, a splendid Victorian mansion built in 1886, with the original contents.


Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum, the largest collection of farming implements in the country as well as a unique collection of vehicles. There are two house museums and a historical farmyard with farm animals.


National Cultural History Museum features the culture of all South Africans in its vast collections. It traces the history of SA from 2-million years ago to the present.


Transvaal Museum embraces natural history - from the elephant in the foyer to the smallest beetle found in Africa.


Kruger House was the residence of Paul Kruger, last president of the old Zuid-Afrikaanse Republic. It provides a glimpse into the life and times of the Boer statesman and his people's struggle for freedom.


Tswaing Meteorite Crater, 220 000 years old, is 1,4km wide and 200m deep. It is one of the best preserved in the world and is a paradise for nature lovers.


SA National Museum of Military History is the only one of its kind in SA. The displays relate to the historical aspect and the technological development of warfare.

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