Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Werner Pretorius MPL, and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Free State MEC of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation and her Department to revive the 11 Provincial Museums under its management to ensure their economic and tourism potential is realised. As we celebrate Heritage Month, the dire need for better management, utilisation, and allocation of resources to provincial museums is clear.
DA Oversights revealed the dire state of many of the museums and heritage centres. Several of the museums face serious maintenance issues, such as leaking roofs and damaged gutters, sewage challenges, and overgrown or unkempt grounds. Amongst them:
- The Old Presidency Museum (Bloemfontein) (see photos here and here),
- The Basotho Cultural Village (Qwa Qwa) (see photos here and here),
- The Dingolweng SeSotho Literature Museum and the National Afrikaans Literature Museum and Research Centre which is housed in the Old Government Building (see photos here, here, and here),
- The Queens Fort Military Museum (see photos here, here and here),
- The Transgariep Museum in Philippolis (see photos here and here),
- The Caledon River Museum in Smithfield (see photos here, here and here).
The DA calls on the MEC and her Department to engage with and benchmark against the War Museum of the Boer Republics, located in Bloemfontein, which recently received two prestigious awards, showcasing the stellar management and performance of the Museum.
The War Museum has, over the years, been built into a world-class museum with state-of-the-art exhibits, regular additions and an inclusive and family-friendly environment. The Museum was recently praised by the Auditor General (AG) for its sound financial and performance management, noting its 3rd consecutive clean audit and a total of 15 clean audits in the recent past. In addition, the War Museum was recognized as one of the top three museums in South Africa for 2025 in the National Arts and Culture Awards.
The War Museum, which falls under the auspices of the National Department of SACR, stands in contrast to most museums in the province under the auspices of the Free State Provincial Government. These provincial assets must play a vital role in the economic development of towns and the province.
The DA will continue to call for sufficient budget allocation, the appointment of trained professionals, and the promotion of Provincial Museums to the benefit of all residents of the Free State.