The Stellenbosch University Museum as part of International Museum month celebrations invites you to a hybrid launch and discussion on a new book by Prof Leslie Witz (UWC), titled Museum Times: Changing Histories in South Africa

About the book:

Museums flourished in post-apartheid South Africa. In older museums, there were renovations on the go, and at least fifty new museums opened. Most sought to depict violence and suffering under apartheid and the growth of resistance. These unlikely journeys are tracked as museums became a primary setting for contesting histories. From the renowned Robben Island Museum to the almost unknown Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum, the author demonstrates how an institution concerned with the conservation of the past is simultaneously a site for changing history.

Presenter

Prof Leslie Witz

Leslie Witz is a senior professor in the Department of History at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). His major research centres on how different histories are created and represented in the public domain through memorials, museums, festivals and tourism. He was on the board of the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum for almost 20 years, and from the museum's inception became intensely involved in a set of hands-on collaborations with other board members, museum staff, residents, and the appointed professionals in the making of the museum. He is the author of Write Your Own History, Apartheid's Festival: Contesting South Africa's National Pasts, Museum Times: Changing Histories in South Africa and co-author, with Noëleen Murray, of Hostels, Homes, Museum: Memorialising Migrant Labour Pasts in Lwandle, South Africa. Leslie, together with colleagues Ciraj Rassool and Gary Minkley, co‑authored Unsettled History: Making South African Public Pasts, a work that reflects on public history in South Africa since the 1990s. 

Discussant

Mr Bongani Mgijima

Bongani Mgijima is the Director of the Stellenbosch University Museum. Under his stewardship, the Museum has won awards for multilingualism, social inclusion, and sustainable tourism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a postgraduate diploma in Museum and Heritage Studies from the University of the Western Cape. He also holds double master's degrees from Stellenbosch University. Bongani has worked in various management capacities for more than 21 years, mainly in the public sector, specialising in the fields of museums, heritage, and tourism. Bongani is also the co-principal investigator of the Ubuntu Dialogues, a three-year academic, student and professional exchange programme involving cultural institutions in South Africa and the United States. He is passionate about museums and believes that museums have an important role to play in the creation of inclusive, democratic and critical citizenship.

Event details

Date:               Wednesday 10 May 2023

Time:               13:00–14:00 SAST

Venue:             University Museum, 52 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch

For online attendance, please click the following link.

Just Conversations

To attend the event physically and for catering purposes, RSVP to Mr Ricky Brecht at rickyb@sun.ac.za or 021 808 3660.

IINCOKO EZIVULELEKILEYO

IMyuziyam yeYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch njengenxalenye yemobhiyozo yenyanga yeeMyuziyam yeZizwe ngeZizwe iya kumema kwiphulo lophehlelelo nengxoxo yencwadi entsha kaNjingalwazi Leslie Witz (UWC) esihloko sithi, Museum Times: Changing Histories in South Africa.

Malunga nencwadi

IiMyuziyam zaye zakhula eMzantsi Afrika emva kacalucalulo. Iimyuziyam ezindala zaye zahlaziywa kwaze kwavulwa iimyuziyam ezintsha ezingamashumi amahlanu. Uninzi lwazo lubonisa ubundlobongela nokubandezeleka ngexesha localucalulo kwakunye nokukhula kokuchaswa kwayo. Ezi ziganeko zingalindelekanga zifumaneka kwiimyuziyam njengoko iimyuziyam ziye zadlala indima ebalulekileyo kukhuphiswano lwezembali. Ukususela kwiMyuziyam edumileyo iRobben Island ukuya kutsho kwengaziwayo iLwandle Migrant Labour Museum, umbhali ubonisa ukuba yenzeka njani into yeziko lolondolozo lwembali lize lithi ngaxeshanye libe liziko lenguqu kwimbali.

Isithethi

UNjing. Leslie Witz yinjingalwazi ephezulu kwiSebe lezeMbali kwiYunivesithi yaseWestern Cape (UWC). Uphando lwakhe lumalunga neendlela ezenziwe nezivezwa ngayo iimbali ezahlukeneyo eluntwini ngezikhumbuzo, iimyuziyam, iminyhadala nokhenketho. Wayekwibhodi yeLwandle Migrant Labour Museum kangangeminyaka engama20, kwaye ukusuka ekusekweni kwemyuziyam uzibandakanye kakhulu ngentsebenziswano namanye amalungu ebhodi, abasebenzi basemyuziyam, abahlali neengcali ezichongiweyo ekusekweni kwemyuziyam. Ungumbhali weWrite Your Own History, Apartheid's Festival: Contesting South Africa's National Pasts, Museum Times: Changing Histories in South Africa, waze wabhala kunye neNoeleen Murray, yeHostels, Homes, Museum: Memorialising Migrant Labour Pasts in Lwandle, South Africa. ULeslie noogxa bakhe uCiraij Rassool noGary Minkley baye babhala kunye iUnsettled History: Making South African Public Pasts, umsebenzi obonakalisa imbali yoluntu eMzantsi Afrika ukuqala ngeminyaka ye1990.

Umxoxi

UMnu. Bongani Mgijima unguMlawuli weMyuziyam yeYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch. Phantsi kolawulo lwakhe le Myuziyam iphumelele iimbasa yeelwimi ezininzi, ukubandakanywa koluntu, kwakunye nokhenketho oluzinzileyo. Unesidanga seBachelor of Arts kwakunye neDiploma yaseMva kweSidanga sokuQala kwizifundo ngeeMyuziyam nezaMafa kwiYunivesithi yaseWestern Cape. Ukwafumene nezidanga ezibini zeemastazi kwiYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch. UBongani usebenze kwizikhundla zobunkokheli ezininzi kangangeminyaka engaphezulu kwengama21, ubukhulu becala kwicandelo likarhulumente, egxile kwiimyuziyam, ilifa lemveli nokhenketho. UBongani ukwangumphandi oyintloko kwiUbuntu Dialogues, inkqubo yeminyaka emithathu yotshintshiselwano lwabafundi kunye nobuchwephesha obubandakanya amaziko emfundo eMzantsi Afrika naseAmerika. Uzithanda kakhulu iimyuziyam kwaye ukholelwa ukuba iimyuziyam zinendima ebalulekileyo ekufuneka ziyidlalile ekwakheni ubumi obubandakanyayo, bolawulo lwesininzi nobuphuhlileyo.

Iinkcukacha zesiganeko

Umhla:                        uLwesithathu 10 kuMeyi 2023

Ixesha:             13:00 – 14:00 SAST

Indawo:           UMyuziyam weYunivesithi, 52 iSitalato iRyneveld, eStellenbosch

Ukuya kwi-intanethi, nceda ucofe kwilinki elandelayo.

Just Conversations

Ukuzimasa umsitho ubuso ngobuso nokwenzela amalungiselelo okutyiwayo RSVP kuMnumzana Ricky Brecht apha rickyb@sun.ac.za okanye 021 808 3660.

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