Launch of the Cape Town Museum

Speech by Minister of the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais

Minister of Transport and Public Works, Minister Donald Grant

Head of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Mr Brent Walters

Gavin Kode, Deputy Director-General, Department of Transport and Public Works

Chief Director of Cultural Affairs, Ms Hannetjie Du Preez

Media Relations Manager for Standard Bank South Africa, Mr Ross Lindstrom

Western Cape Government Officials

Media and

Distinguished guests,

On the commencement of Heritage Month, filled with pride, it gives me immense pleasure to stand before you today at this milestone event in which we launch the, first of its kind, Cape Town Museum.

Dis die eerste keer sedert 1988 dat ’n splinternuwe museum deur die Wes-Kaapse Regering ingerig word. Die oprigting van die Kaapstad Museum is betekenisvol. Alhoewel daar meer as 60 bestaande museums oor Kaapstad versprei is, is daar nie een enkele museum wat ’n oorsig van die erfenis van die Moederstad bied nie! Die doel van die nuwe Museum is dus om ’n oorsig van die storie van Kaapstad onder een dak te bied – ’n bekendstelling vir inwoners sowel as besoekers. Net soos wat Stad Kaapstad die tuiste is van ’n verskeidenheid van kulture, is dit hoog tyd dat die diverse erfenis en stories van Kaapstad, wat van regoor die Wes-Kaap en selfs verder weg afkomstig is, in een plek gehuisves word.  

Museums is instellings wat die verlede bewaar en kommunikeer, maar tog lê hul fondasies in die hede. Meer eietyds gestel dien dit as ’n historiese ‘nuusuitsending’ tussen geslagte omdat dit aan huidige en toekomstige geslagte insig bied oor hul oosprong en geskiedenis. Dit is ons mandaat om as die Departement van Kultuursake en Sport die transformasie van die Wes-Kaap se erfenislandskap te bespoedig deur verskeie dienste te verskaf om die diverse erfenis van die provinsie te bewaar, te ontwikkel en te bevorder deur geaffilieerde museumdienste en erfenisinstellings. Die bekendstelling van hierdie Kaapstad Museum is een van die maniere waarop hierdie mandaat vervul word.

What makes the Cape Town Museum special and setting it apart from all other 29 affiliated museums in the Western Cape is that it is accommodated in the Old Standard Bank Building, known to many as the Queen of Adderley Street. It is then fitting to announce that the Queen of Adderley Street is now fluffing up her feathers and shaking. The Cape Town Museum will be the epitome of transformation, not only in representation but also in ways in which the museum interacts with its audiences, thus getting with the times, promoting the diverse heritage of Cape Town and enabling social inclusion by being the place where residents of Cape Town can proudly showcase their heritage.

I am especially enthusiastic about my Department’s vision to reflect the heritage of the Mother City as a whole in the Cape Town Museum. Representivity will be enabled through the participation of both individuals and heritage institutions and it will strive to be socially inclusive:  Members of the public and heritage organisations are therefore afforded the opportunity to make proposals and suggestions on what they would like to see exhibited and showcased in the Cape Town Museum. In its very essence, the Cape Town Museum personifies the theme of Heritage Month as Living Heritage. Innovatively, an email address has been secured to which these proposals can be sent and it is as simple as capetownmuseum@westerncape.gov.za

It is foreseen that the Cape Town Museum, at first to be proclaimed as a provincial museum, would evolve into a regional museum for the Metropolitan area as envisaged in the approved Western Cape Museum Policy and would be a key point for visitors to obtain an overview of the history and development of the Mother City and to serve as an orientation point to the city for both local inhabitants and tourists.  The proclamation as a regional museum will only be effected once new museum legislation has been finalised.  From there, visits to other attractions and museums in the metropolitan area and further afield will be encouraged.

By utilising the services of the Cape Town Museum, local inhabitants in particular will benefit from a sense of belonging and identity thereby promoting social inclusion in the City and the Western Cape.

The Cape Town Museum will be hosting both permanent exhibitions that focus on its theme with reflective exhibitions on the history and development of Cape Town in the past, ranging from geological times, contemporary Cape Town, matters relevant in Cape Town of the present day and the Cape Town of the future.

The Cape Town Museum will also include gallery space for temporary exhibitions which will be used for special and travelling exhibitions on a rotational basis, using the Provincial Government’s art collection and extensive photographic collections in the Western Cape Archives.  Other exhibitions, including international exhibitions, could also be housed in this venue. Exciting times ahead!

Ek is seker Erfenis Wes-Kaap en die Direktoraat: Kuns, Kultuur en Taaldienste en die Direktoraat: Museums, Erfenishulpbronbestuur en Geografiese Name gaan baie lekker en gelukkig saam met die Kaapstad Museum in hul nuwe tuiste in die Ou Standard Bank-gebou bly. Baie mense kan bloot daarvan droom om in ’n plek gevul met soveel geskiedenis, erfenis, herinneringe en skoonheid te werk. Hulle kry ook die geleentheid om die medeaanbieders te wees van die Koninging van Adderleystraat.

Ter afsluiting wil ek graag die Departement van Vervoer en Openbare Werke bedank vir die rol wat hulle gespeel het in die onderhandeling en verkryging van toestemming van Standard Bank van Suid-Afrika, asook die rol wat hulle gespeel het in die transformasie van die Ou Standard Bank-gebou in wat binnekort ’n wêreldgehalte Kaapstad Museum gaan word. Ek dank u Minister Grant vir die fasilitering van die nodige vennootskappe en vir die geleentheid wat die Koninging van Adderleystraat gekry het om haar nuwe vere te pronk. Vennootskappe soos hierdie bewys maar net weer dat ons beter tesame is om te verseker dat erfenis in Stads- en streekbeplanning ingesluit word. Toegang tot algemene openbare ruimtes word dan weer verskaf, wat maatskaplike insluiting, massadeelname en gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid moontlik maak.

Ek dank u.