Pretoria – Freedom Park will open the doors to its new //hapo museum next week to memorialise those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom.
“//hapo” is a Khoi word which means “a dream” and is derived from a Khoi proverb “//hapo ge //hapo tama /haohasib dis tamas ka i bo”, which means “a dream is not a dream until it is shared by the entire community”.
The //hapo museum is the last phase of Freedom Park, situated on Salvokop Hill, south of Pretoria.
The museum will be officially opened by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Paul Mashatile, and Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, on Monday – days before the nation celebrates Freedom Day on 27 April at the Union Buildings.
Freedom Park CEO, Fana Jiyane, said the opening of the museum formed part of the activities of Freedom Month.
“We plan to use this day to launch the best heritage museum in the country and to create a platform where the nation will come together to celebrate freedom and democracy; pledge messages of peace and hope; enhance reconciliation and nation building, to all South Africans, and the world as a whole,” said Jiyane.
He said visitors to the park would start at the //hapo museum.
“Here you will be greeted in a distinctly African way and directed to your chosen destination, be that a tour of all the elements within Freedom Park or just a quick visit to one of the spaces - be it the wall of names, the gallery of leaders, the picnic area, our outdoor amphitheatre or isivivane.”
According to Freedom Park, the //hapo museum tells the story of the Southern African region dating back 3.6 billion years in an interactive manner.
//hapo showcases South Africa’s rich and colourful history, from creation to the issues of reconciliation and nation building that the country faces today.
Jiyane said: “What makes //hapo so unique is its interactivity in that it transports visitors from mere spectators to active participants, thus creating a sense of awe and wonder in Southern African history. It allows visitors to become part of the history that we leave for our children and helps the nation to live a shared dream.”
Mashatile said the opening of //hapo was an important milestone for South Africa’s democracy and one that former President Nelson Mandela would be proud of.
“Madiba is the father of our free nation. It was he in 1999 who said: ‘The day shall not be far off, when we shall have a people’s shrine, a freedom park, where we shall honour with all the dignity they deserve, those who endured pain so we should experience the joy of freedom’.
“So, Freedom Park is as much a gift to all South Africans as it is to him. We think of him today as we celebrate our freedom and democracy and the fulfillment of his vision.”
The minister praised //hapo as a triumph of the African spirit only nationally but within Southern Africa.
He also hailed the way in which African, and specifically Southern African culture, history and heritage is understood and integrated at this first of its kind tourism offering.
“Freedom Park has done an excellent job in conceptualising the interpretive centre and putting it together and deserves the gratitude of the entire nation. For the first time in our history, there will be a place that celebrates and showcases our achievements as Africans – in the ambits of arts, science, technology and so forth - in a manner that has never been done before.” – SAnews.gov.za
