Freedom Park – a mandate unfulfilled

 

Freedom Park is an initiative that, according to the curator, attempts to be non-divisive and inclusive. It is an impressive building housing an African world-view describing creation and an African approach to history. It was an eye-opener for me as I had heard of the horrible things that had happened during apartheid, but it was brought home to me just how disruptive and how inhumane apartheid was. What particularly left an impression on me were two disparate objects – the African view of creation (and the belief that ancestors play a role in everyday life) and a pair of underpants and other clothing items that had been retrieved from the body of a man who had been killed during the apartheid era.

The weekend after the visit, I ruminated about my visit and tried to understand my deep unease about what I experienced and my sense of guilt. I acknowledge that I did not spend more than 3 hours in the Park and only in the exhibition part of the park. However, I would argue that visitors to the Park generally also only spend about the same amount of time, so the observations I made are arguably indicative of what other visitors might make.

My first observation was that Freedom Park is not inclusive and non-divisive as is claimed. It seemed a very biased take on the history of South Africa. It seemed to me that the San and Khoi are highlighted but only in passing. The hardships they experienced, and their history did not come to the fore as the original inhabitants of South Africa. The Chinese, Indians and Coloureds are also only mentioned in passing (though I believe they are mentioned on the wall of remembrance which I did not visit) and the impression I got from the exhibitions was that the emphasis was on the contribution of the Blacks to the country. As a white person (and pretty much looking on as an outsider) I came away with the feeling that the Whites had not contributed anything of value to the country. My concern was that the Freedom Park was being targeted to school children who were given the understanding that everything Black was good (what about other groups such as Chinese, Coloureds and Indians?), and that the Whites only did terrible things. In what way is this not divisive? Foreign tourists coming to Freedom Park are also given the impression that Whites are pariahs and that the Black culture is the only valuable thing that is worth preserving.

Despite this, the visit to Freedom Park brought home to me the shared experiences of humanity. I had an intuitive feeling that atrocities such as happened in South Africa have happened all over the world in different forms but with the same amount of suffering. Emphasis should be on the shared humanity of different people. Freedom Park is not an Apartheid museum nor a holocaust exhibition. Its purpose is stated on its website as “To be a leading national and international icon of humanity and freedom.” With a mission: “To provide a pioneering and empowering heritage destination in order to mobilise for reconciliation and nation building in our country; to reflect upon our past, improving our present and building our future as a united nation; and to contribute continentally and internationally to the formation of better human understanding among nations and peoples.” Its values are: “In carrying out its mandate, Freedom Park is committed to the following values: “Tolerance of diversity, Inclusivity, Trust, Transparency, Accountability”.

I don’t feel it fulfils its mandate. As a white contemplating my own contribution to this country, I came away wondering about the value I can offer when I am viewed as a White outsider and an evil one at that! Although I recognise the need to acknowledge the inhumanity of Apartheid, the importance of reflecting back on past history and the importance of cultural traditions, as a freedom park aimed at nation building, I felt an overwhelming sense of separation.