Capture site no longer captive to rot
● The Nelson Mandela Capture Site has turned the corner from a state of almost disrepair to a monument befitting one of the historically important moments in the struggle against apartheid.
The historic site, outside Howick in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, is where Nelson Mandela was arrested on August 5 1962. It attracts thousands of tourists annually — domestic and international.
Chris Pappas, the mayor of uMngeni local municipality, which owns the land on which Mandela’s monument and museum are built, says the importance of the site galvanised his administration to adopt a hands-on approach.
“When I became mayor in 2021, the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela house in Brandfort was in ruins and that is what spurred me to take action with this site,” said Pappas.
“The grass was not cut, the flower beds weren’t done, there was no security, no generator, the buildings needed painting, some were derelict. Now they have a conference centre and an education centre.”
The site has a lease agreement with the municipality. Tsogo Sun and the Apartheid Museum run it on the municipality’s behalf.
The Sunday Times visited the site this week. The lawns and gardens are well maintained, the lights work and there is a security guard hut at the entrance. Pappas said what was still to be done in terms of upgrades was tarring the road that leads into the site, and paving the parking area.
Umngeni’s hands-on approach, according to Pappas, has led to the facility’s board assigning two of its members to look after the site, including a manager from the Apartheid Museum. The team works with the site manager.
“We have seen improvements since then. We request monthly reports. They present to the executive committee quarterly on their challenges and plans.
“We are seeing about 41,000 people go there monthly, outside peak season. Most are foreign tourists from countries like Norway, India, Germany, the US and the UK. Every now and again there is a spike in Chinese and Australian visitors,” he said.
Planned upgrades include a new entrance, driveway and parking facilities, mountain bike pathways that link to an extensive track network, a new education facility, a terraced amphitheatre and an experiential indigenous garden, food market and training kitchen.