Widow fights for freedom fighter’s legacy

MATHABO Kunene, the widow of freedom fighter Prof Mazisi Kunene, says she is heartbroken with the way the City of eThekwini has handled her husband’s legacy through the Mazisi Kunene Museum, the only literature museum in the province.

This comes after the artifacts of the museum had to be moved to Msunduzi Library in Pietermaritzburg for safekeeping. The Mazisi Kunene Museum is located in Delville Avenue in Glenwood and was founded in 2007.

It is one of its kind in the province as it was started to preserve the work of the late Kunene, which consists of poems, manuscripts and stories that tell tales of liberation in Africa and the history of the Zulu people. Mathabo says the state of her husband’s legacy has broken her heart because she understands the amount of love and work her husband had poured into his work.

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As such, she had to put the legacy of her husband first and move these artifacts to Msunduzi Library where they will be better kept and taken care of. “The museum has been a part of eThekwini’s positive tourist destination for many years. In 2022, it was featured on Google Doodle for Kunene’s posthumous birthday.

“In 2019, the City promised the Kunene trust that they were going to fix the museum and return it to its former glory, but years later, after many talks and deliberation, the museum still remains in a dire state. The City said that in order for them to safeguard the city’s heritage and resources, the Mazisi Kunene Museum and its collection will be incorporated into the municipality’s Local History Museum Department and form part of the existing Liberation Heritage Route,” said Mathabo.

Municipality responds to criticism

In a statement, the eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, responded by saying, “Mrs Kunene was advised a long time ago to transfer the house from her name to the Mazisi Kunene Foundation Trust so that the eThekwini Municipality can sign the lease agreement as per the legislation. But that assignment, as communicated to her, has not yet been actioned. So, the house still belongs to Mrs Kunene, not the Mazisi Kunene Foundation Trust.”

“Mrs Kunene was further advised to pay the municipal bills because, in terms of the legislation, the municipality cannot appoint a service provider to refurbish the museum or enter into any lease agreement with a service provider which is owing the municipality.

“Again, nothing happened for the past three years as the municipal bill has not been paid. According to the municipality, they are currently waiting for a date to meet with the board of trustees of the Mazisi Kunene Foundation Trust, together with Mrs Kunene, so that perhaps the board can advise her better on the administrative and legal matters that she must adhere to for the matter to be properly processed. Sisilana added that the City was due to meet with the trustees of the Mazisi Kunene Foundation.

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“Until today, the date for the meeting has not been confirmed. All allegations levelled against the municipality are unfounded because officials in the municipality have worked on this project for more than four years, but she is apparently not willing to heed our advice, and we can’t break the law or do anything which is against the legislation,” continued Sisilana.

“Recently, there was a meeting which was attended by the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal, municipal officials and Mrs Kunene, herself, which took place at Loram House to try and resolve this matter, but we are waiting for the date from the board of trustees of the Mazisi Kunene Foundation Trust so that board members can advise her better. Again, it is not true that the eThekwini Municipality has failed Prof Mazisi Kunene and the family because it is Prof Kunene’s wife who is not willing to cooperate and heed the municipality’s advice so that we can put this matter to rest and honour Prof Kunene’s legacy.”

Mathabo argues that the museum is the home where Kunene wrote his final pieces of work, and the home/museum remains of sentimental value to the family, and therefore it is very sacred to them as a family.

“No 8 Delville Avenue is the place Kunene called home after 30 years of exile, and this is where he wrote his final poems. Therefore, the family then bought it outright [to keep] as a sacred place. It was launched at Albert Luthuli ICC and the then premiere of KwaZulu-Natal, Sbu Ndebele, pronounced it as such [a sacred place].

“Book One of a special launch edition of Kunene’s final handwritten poems, titled Inkondlo Engaqedwanga, translating to ‘unfinished poem’, was written at this home,” added Mathabo.

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