Home

Liliesleaf to close its doors indefinitely

Reading Time: < 1 minute

One of South Africa’s foremost national heritage sites, Liliesleaf will be closing its doors indefinitely.

According to a statement released by the Liliesleaf Trust, Liliesleaf has been facing a funding crisis for several years which has been compounded and exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19.

Liliesleaf served as the secret headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC), South African Communist Party (SACP), Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and the Congress Alliance during apartheid.

It was at Liliesleaf farm that the overthrowing of the apartheid regime was discussed, and leaders of the liberation movement took refuge.

Founder and CEO of The Liliesleaf Trust, Nicholas Wolpe says despite successful efforts in raising funds from corporates and the public, Liliesleaf has been living on borrowed time.

“We have always been on the verge of reaching this point. What COVID-19 has done is shine a bright spotlight on the reality of historical sites. It’s an indictment on how we view our history, where we place the history of our country within the context of what we consider to be important. It is about cultural sustainability,” says Nicholas Wolpe.

Author

MOST READ
RELATED STORIES