Learn About Tsomo!
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in_herit FESTIVAL 2020 Join the Iziko Mobile EDUCATION: OUTREACH PROGRAMMES Museum for a virtual journey through the social, natural and artistic history of TSOMO, in the EASTERN CAPE LEARN ABOUT TSOMO! Tsomo is a town in the Chris Hani District Municipality and Intsika Yethu Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The town is 45 km east of Qamata and 48 km west of Ndabakazi. Founded in 1877, it originated as a military station known as Tsomo Post. The name is derived from that of the Tsomo River, on which it is situated, which in turn is said to be named after a Xhosa chief who lived where the bridge now stands. A number of tourist attractions include Mbulu Mission; church built in 1902 by the German Anglican man with the name Rev Old and is located in the Tsomo village called Lower Mbulukhweza); even today the church is still operating. Mbulukweza Water Falls to enjoy nature– viewing and scenery beauty of the river water falls, cliffs and some of animal species in in Lower Mbulukhweza River. Sigubudwini Rock Art : Rock art paintings which are located on the mountain cliff of Esigubudwini Village accessible to tourist. Among the South African struggle icons and activists from this town include the late Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu; Umkhonto we Sizwe activist, Vuyisile Mini; Zolile Malindi who was a prominent leader of the struggle for labour and political rights in the Western Cape, Comrade Bura - Bathandwa Ndondo. SOCIAL HISTORY ALBERTINA SISULU Nontsikelelo Albertina was born to Bonilizwe and Monikazi Thethiwe in the Tsomo district in the Transkei on 21 October 1918. She was a nurse, a political activist and council to her husband, former Secretary-General and Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC), Walter Sisulu. In September 1918 the Spanish Flu, a strain of the influenza virus that had killed 40 million people worldwide, reached South Africa and is estimated to have killed over 30 000 people in the Transkei. Monica Thethiwe, caught the virus and was seriously ill whilst pregnant with her first daughter and her second born, Nontsikelelo. “Umbathalala”, as the flu was called in isiXhosa, Albertina addressing a ‘Free Mandela’ campaign rally in 1985. was lethal to pregnant women and small babies, Image : South African History Online however, baby Nontsikelelo was born perfectly healthy on 21 October 1918. SOCIAL HISTORY ALBERTINA SISULU Albertina Sisulu was a political activist and nurse and one of the most important leaders of anti-Apartheid resistance in South Africa. She is often referred to as the `Mother of the Nation’. She acted on her ideal of human rights throughout her life, assisted by her husband and fellow activist, the late Walter Sisulu (1912-2003). It was with Walter that she attended the first conference of the ANC Youth League – where Albertina Sisulu was the only women present. In 1948 she joined the ANC Women’s League and in the 1950s she began to assume a leadership role – both in the ANC and in the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW). She was one of the organizers of the historic anti-pass Women’s Walter Albertina celebrate his release March in 1956 and opposed inferior `Bantu’ education. Both from prison in Soweto in 1989. Image :South African History Online Albertina and her husband were jailed several times for their political activities and they were both constantly harassed by the Security Police. In 1994, Albertina Sisulu served in the first democratically elected Parliament. On 2 June, 2011 she died at her Linden home in Johannesburg, aged 92. SOCIAL HISTORY VUYISILE MINI Vuyisile Mini; born in Tsomo (8 April, 1920 – 6 November, 1964) was a unionist, Umkhonto we Sizwe activist, singer and one of the first African National Congress members to be executed by apartheid South Africa. Mini's father – who was born in Tsomo and later moved to Port Elizabeth as a young man – was a Port Elizabeth dockworker active in labour and community struggles. This inspired Mini, at 17, to take part in bus fare and rent increase protests. Mini's militant political activities began in 1951 when he joined the African National Congress. In 1952 he was jailed with Govan Mbeki and Raymond Mhlaba for Vuyisile Mini three months in Rooi Hel ('Red Hell' or North End Image South African History Online Prison, Port Elizabeth) for participation in the 'Campaign of Defiance against Unjust Laws' (Defiance Campaign). In 1956 Mini was one of 156 defendants in the famous Treason Trial. SOCIAL HISTORY VUYISILE MINI In 1961, Mini was one of the first group of people to be recruited into uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and became a member of the Eastern Cape High Command. Mini was arrested on 10 May, 1963 together with two other prominent ANC members, Wilson Khayinga and Zinakile Mkabat, they were charged with 17 counts of sabotage and other political crimes including complicity in the January 1963 death of Sipho Mange, an alleged police informer. In March 1964, the three were sentenced to death. Mini, Wilson Khayinga and Zinakile Mkaba were hanged in the Pretoria Central Prison on 6 November 1964. Image : Red location Museum, Port Elizabeth ART COLLECTIONS TIMOTHY MAFENUKA Born in Guguletu, Timothy Mafenuka (1966-2003) spent much of his childhood in the rural village of Tsomo, where as a herd boy he carved wooden sticks and spoons. After completing his schooling he moved back to Cape Town (c.1982) to look for work. He worked as a fisherman in Namibia and the Eastern Cape, and as a chef at the Cape Sun. In Khayelitsha he came into contact with other local artists, notably Xolile Mtakatya, and by the early 90s he was working as a full-time artist. He participated in several group exhibitions, including those of the Visual Arts Group. Five of Mafenuka’s early works were selected by the IZIKO SANG for its Made in Wood exhibition in 1992, and one was purchased for their permanent collection. A genuinely self-taught artist, Mafenuka’s qualities were recognised by the Thupelo Workshop who invited him to attend several regional workshops and one international one. PLANETARIUM & DIGITAL DOME Come and relax under the stars of Tsomo! Did you know that planets like Venus (ikhwezi lokusa, ikhwezi lesibini, ucelizapholo, umadingeni), and stars like Canopus – uCanzibe and Pleiades – Isilimela can be viewed on a cloudless night? NATURAL HISTORY CHRYSORITIS LYNCURIUM Chrysoritis lyncurium, the Tsomo River copper or Tsomo River opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found from the northern Eastern Cape to southern KwaZulu-Natal. Image : iziko Natural History Entomology collection The wingspan is 21–24 mm for males and 23–26 mm for females. Adults are on wing from December to January. The larvae feed on Myrsine and Diospyros species. They are attended to by Crematogaster ants. NATURAL HISTORY HARPENDYREUS TSOMO Harpendyreus tsomo, the Tsomo blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is mainly found in Lesotho, but also in South Africa where it is known from high altitudes in the Orange Free State and the East Cape. The wingspan is 17–22 mm for males and 18–23 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to March, with a peak from November to December. The larvae feed on young leaves, flowers and seeds of Mentha species. Image : iziko Natural History Entomology collection ACTIVITY : COULOUR-IN.