The South African Police Service Museum

The Muizenberg Police Museum, also known as South African Police Services (SAPS) Museum, is situated on the Main Road in Muizenberg, Cape Town, Western Cape. The museum is located where the police station and old magistrate’s court was based. It opened on 21 June 1990 but closed a few years later due to damage to the property. 

The museum was reopened by Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko on 23 March 2016 after undergoing renovation. Inside the museum there are displays showcasing criminal cases, an old charge office and the original jail cells. There is also antique furniture and various police items such as uniforms. Other displays include two coins from the Dutch East-India Company (VOC) era and a depiction of the Battle of Muizenberg. There is no entrance fee and the museum is open every day. 

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References
Blaauwberg Online (2009), South African Police Museum, Available online: www.tourism-cape-town-western-cape.blaauwberg.net/busslistings.php?id=1813. Accessed [20/05/2020].
 
Monique Mortlock (2016), SAPS Museum reopened in Muizenberg today, www.ewn.co.za/2016/03/23/Saps-museum-reopened-in-Muizenberg-today. Accessed [20/05/2020].
 
Show Me (2009), The Police Museum in Muizenberg also known at the SAPS museum, Available online:
www.showme.co.za/cape-town/tourism/tourist-attractions/the-police-museum-in-muizenberg/. Accessed [20/05/2020].
 

Mapungubwe Collection at the University of Pretoria

After the Mapungubwe gold was declared a national heritage collection in October 1997, the University of Pretoria (UP) became its official custodian as it played an important role in finding the gold and preserving it, making the university the host of the biggest ancient gold collection in Southern Africa. The university’s main task is to curate and preserve the gold collection which consists of three animal figurines namely a rhinoceros, bovine, and feline. Two other notable gold pieces are the ceremonial bowl and a sceptre. They also have a collection of gold bangles, nails, and foil. Apart from the gold items they have glass beads, iron and copper bangles as well as earthenware ceramic vessels also form part of the collection. 

The museum is situated in the University’s Old Arts Building. The two golden rhinos are the museum’s centre pieces and are placed in glass cabinets. It is believed that the two rhinos excavated at the Mapungubwe Hill were a representation of black rhinos, a symbol of leadership. Textual and photographic panels form part of the surroundings around the rhinos. There are ten display cases which contain gold artefacts, pottery and the jewellery. The cases also contain information panels stating the history of the artefact and its significance. The panels trace the history of Mapungubwe and the gold findings. 

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References

University of Pretoria. ‘Mapungubwe Collection -The Collection’, (2018), www.up.ac.za/en/museums-collections/article/1823912/mapungubwe-collection-thecollection. [Accessed 14 March 2020].

X. Kashe-Katiya, ‘Carefully Hidden Away: Excavating the Archive of the Mapungubwe Dead and their Possessions’, (UCT. M.A. Thesis. 2013).
 

Iziko South African Maritime Centre

The Iziko South African (SA) Maritime Centre opened in 1990. It is based at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront), Cape Town, Western Cape. The museum provides a history of shipping in the City and displays the oldest model of Table Bay harbour, which was created by prisoners and warders from Breakwater Prison in 1885. There are also photographs depicting Table Bay between the 17th to 20th centuries. 

The museum also displays a collection of ship models alongside photographs and displays of shipwrecks that occurred as well. There are two permanent exhibitions at the Centre namely,  “The Last Voyage of the Mendi: Death in Foreign Waters” which provides an overview of the SS Mendi and the John H. Marsh Maritime Research Centre which hosts about 20 000 photographs with 9 200 of them displaying ships from the 1920s to the 1960s. 

There is also an online service to assist with queries relating to the ships and handling orders for images of the ships. The Maritime Centre is open daily and requires an admission fee.

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References

Iziko Maritime Centre (2020), Maritime Centre, Available online: www.iziko.org.za/museums/maritime-centre. Accessed [17/05/2020].

V&A Waterfront (2020), Iziko Maritime Centre, Available online: www.waterfront.co.za/attractions/iziko-maritime-museum/. Accessed [17/05/2020].

The Snape Building Political Demonstration at the University of Cape Town in 1966 by Andrew M. Colman

In the late afternoon of Wednesday, 21 September 1966, I took part in a small political demonstration on the campus of the University of Cape Town (UCT). It was broken up violently by university authorities, and I still have a copy of a two-page “Witness Statement” that I wrote immediately after the event, outlining the bare facts of what happened. The final paragraph is a threat to sue the university for defamation, common assault, and malicious damage to property.

Language

History Grade 10 - Topic 3 Glossary

Authoritarian: A system where people are expected to obey all authority and rules, even though some of these rules and regulations may be unfair and cause the loss of personal freedom.

Clergy Priests or ministers of a religion that are usually a part of the Christian Church.

Constitution The system of laws and principles that a state, country or organisation is governed by.

Democracy A system of governance where people of a country can vote to elect their country’s representatives.

History Grade 10 - Topic 3 Contextual Overview

While colonialism and slavery flourished in the 18th century, the foundations of modern democracy were also being established. It is important to consider the ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity and individual freedom in the late 18th century, and to understand what these meant in societies of the time. The conditions in France that caused the revolution in 1789 should be put into context regarding why revolutions did not occur in a reforming monarchy such as the United Kingdom, or in Russia.[1]

Classroom


Our classroom feature includes topics, articles, example questions and answers based on the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The history classroom explores local and global historical events while also dealing with African history.

Additional curriculum content for other subjects, such as Life Orientation, will be posted as the material is developed.

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