About 10 kilometers south of KwaDukuza, cushioned among the sugar cane hills lies a peri-urban settlement, Groutville.
Preserved in the small town, is Chief Albert Luthuli‘s house, where the walls echo with the great history of a remarkable man who fought against the apartheid regime.
Albert Luthuli’s grandfather, Matin Luthuli was one of the founding members of Natal Native Congress.
Martin was also the first chief of Groutville to become democratically elected.
After his death in 1921 the chiefainship was taken up by Joshiah Mqwebu while Albert Luthuli resisted numerous appeals from the Groutville community to contest the chiefainship. Luthuli made himself available and resumed duties as chief in 1936.
All the hardships that Luthuli saw in Groutville influenced him to look at a broader context of the whole country. He became leader of the African National Congress in 1952 and fought against apartheid, repression and racism.
Many people traveled to his house in Groutville to seek his council and secret meetings were held with other leaders of the liberation movement, including Nelson Mandela who was then the leader of the ANC Youth League.
The house, conserved in its original state has been open to the public since 2004.
My colleague, Sboniso Dlamini and I embarked on a journey to further educate ourselves on the South African history and found ourselves on the doorstep of this great man’s house.
On arrival we did not think that that such a small place would offer much entertainment.
Our pessimistic attitude was quickly challenged when we were greeted by the charismatic PRO Zinhle Nyembe who played the role of our tour guide.
Knowing but the bare basics of chief Albert Luthuli, Zinhle promised that Sboniso and I would fast become experts on his life.
To kick start the process we were shown a fascinating 15 minute movie, recounting Luthuli’s life, the history of Grountville and how the chief saw the place as a microcosm of the greater context and complexities that affected all South Africans.
The Zimbabwe born chief was Africa’s first recipient of the nobel prize for peace in 1960 and president of the ANC from 1952 to 1967.
He had married Nokukhanye Bhengu and between the period of 1929 and 1945 had seven children.
Next we headed out into the garden where the chief spent many hours contemplating the ‘struggle’.
The feeling of being in a place that people of the past spent time making memories gave us goosebumps.
I’m unsure if it was because we had just watched the movie of Luthuli’s life, but it felt as if he was there.
As if he still lived in the house, still walked though the garden and we were just merely visiting.
Zinhle explained that this was the museums intention.
It felt bit intrusive sitting on the historical bench that Senator Robert Kennedy and Chief Albert Luthuli sat at to discuss matters concerning apartheid on June 8 1966.
Although our conversation was not all that serious, Zinhle explained that the visit took place at the height of the repression of the Apartheid regime, and was a source of great solace and inspiration to all the oppressed in this country.
The attorney general of the United States, Robbert Kennedy and his wife Ethel, were on an unofficial visit to South Africa.
Kennedy and Luthuli had a private discussion about Luthuli’s vision for South Africa.
Kennedy had given Luthuli a portable record player and a recording of speeches made by his brother.
Heading toward the house, we came across what looked to us like an ordinary wooden chair.
Once seated on it, we were told that that very bench was responsible for the arrest of many people of colour as the chair was meant only for white people.
Greeting us as we entered the house was an extremely realistic statue of the late Albert Luthuli still reading the book that he had read days before his untimely death.
His book collection is still intact.
Over all, I would say that the museum is offers an amazing educational experience and is something that people should experience at least once.
I think that the fact that the museum is so personal is what makes it different and extremely entertaining.
The annual Chief Albert Luthuli Walk will be held in Groutville on Saturday, July 23, two days after the anniversary of his death on July 21.
The commemorative walk will commence at the Luthuli Museum in Groutville to the railway bridge where he met his death and en route to the Museum via the gravesite at the Groutville United Congregational Church.
The 11, 5 km walk will observe Chief Luthuli’s final walk to the railway bridge where he met an accident that led to his death.
The registration fee is R100. To register please send an email to zsgumede@live.co.za.
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