The City has taken ownership of the old home of Dr AB Xuma, and it has worked to turn the building into a museum celebrating the vibrant old suburb. Sophiatown Museum is expected to open on 16 June.

THE history, memories and spirit of Sophiatown will be relived with the opening of a museum in the vibrant old suburb, found to the west of the city centre.

Sophiatown Museum will be at 73 Toby Street, the home of Dr Alfred Bitini Xuma, and is expected to open on 16 June.

A familiar face to the people of Sophiatown: Father Trevor Huddleston

Kenda Knowles, the operations director of the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre (THMC), says that the museum will exhibit a variety of fashion, music and people, just as Sophiatown was once a place of variety.

The City's library services will place Xuma's historic book collection in the house as a permanent exhibit, along with any other relevant material from the City's museum collections.

"In a nutshell, the place must reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of Sophiatown," Knowles adds.

ANC leader
Xuma was the president-general of the African National Congress from 1939 to 1949, and a long-time resident of Sophiatown. His house was one of several buildings that escaped the bulldozers when the suburb was flattened in the 1950s and '60s. It was declared a national monument in 1998, and the City bought it in late 2007.

Dr Alfred Bitini Xuma

Born in Transkei in 1863, Xuma started his working life as a herd boy, working his way up to houseboy, horse trainer, teacher, shipping clerk, hotel and train waiter, before becoming a doctor.

After graduation, he went to Europe, specialising in gynaecology and studying further in the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. On his return to South Africa in 1927, Xuma opened a surgery in Sophiatown called Empilweni, which means health.

The property consists of a single-storey dwelling with an entrance hall, lounge, TV room, kitchen, scullery and pantry, guest toilet, three bedrooms, a playroom, two bathrooms (one en suite), and a stoep.

Outbuildings consist of a double garage, two rooms with a kitchenette, laundry, toilet and basin, plus a Jacuzzi room. The property also has a swimming pool.

Funding
The funding of the museum is a joint initiative between the City of Johannesburg and the THMC. Knowles explains that the City owns the building, while the centre is involved with the day-to-day running of the museum.

The house of Dr AB Xuma will be the home of the Sophiatown Museum

"Former residents of Sophiatown form a big part at the museum as they come and tell us their stories, which we record so that tourists can hear the stories of Sophiatown from the horses' mouths."

A number of people are involved in establishing the museum. Mbali Zwane, Tsephang Molefe and Mduduzi Thusi all spent a year at Museum Africa, sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture, where they studied heritage management.

The trio now work at the centre, bringing alive the history of Sophiatown. They will act as tour guides once the museum is up and running.

Thusi says it is a great responsibility. "But with the help of my colleagues and the former residents, we are ready to preserve the past and bring it alive for future generations. We are excited to be working with the centre in this way."

Preserving history
Knowles explains that it is important to preserve the history of Sophiatown, as it was a venue for ANC meetings and was one of the first places to be targeted during apartheid-era evictions.

Memories of old Sophiatown

"In a way we can say that it is a real place of beginnings and there are some fascinating stories to be told from this place."

Sophiatown was a lively, cosmopolitan suburb, spawning jazz players, writers and singers until the apartheid government relocated its 65 000 residents from 1955, mainly to Soweto's Meadowlands.

Anti-apartheid activist Father Trevor Huddleston lived in the suburb for 12 years. His ashes are buried in the grounds of the Christ the King Anglican Church in Ray Street.

After the removals, the suburb became a whites-only community, and was renamed Triomf, the Afrikaans word for triumph. For almost three decades, Triomf seemed to triumph over Sophiatown, but former residents danced and celebrated in 2006 when the area was officially renamed Sophiatown.

For more information about the Sophiatown Museum, contact Kenda Knowles on 011 673 1271 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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