On Tuesday, December 1, Iziko Museums of South Africa will commemorate Emancipation and World AIDS Day - celebrating the abolishment of slavery and worldwide efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Visit the Iziko Slave Lodge, a space that has evolved from one of horror to gentle remembrance.
Its history, enveloped with human wrongs, has become a beacon promoting human rights.
“Unshackled History: The Wreck of the Slave Ship, São José, 1794”, possibly represents the first known shipwreck with enslaved Africans on board.
The exhibition narrates the story of human cargo – the people who were kidnapped from their homes in Mozambique to suffer displacement, disaster and death on the Cape shores more than 200 years ago.
Also showcased at the Iziko Slave Lodge, “Under Cover of Darkness”, highlights the previously untold stories of the lives of twelve enslaved women.
These stories show the range of experiences and circumstances of women under the yoke of colonialism. Some lived and died in servitude while others managed to gain their freedom.
Visit selected Iziko museums for free. As part of the Covid-19 prevention and safeguarding of visitors, all museums limit numbers to ensure appropriate social distancing and cleaning.
The Iziko South African Museum, the Iziko South African National Gallery and Iziko Slave Lodge have two timed entry sessions - from 10am until 12 and 12.30pm until 2pm.
The Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum and Iziko Maritime Centre have four one-hour sessions starting at 10am, 11.15am, 12.30pm and 1.45pm.
Please arrive fifteen minutes before your session begins so you can be screened before entering.
This includes taking your temperature, receiving your details and accepting payment. Entry will not be permitted without a mask.
About Emancipation and World AIDS Day
Slavery was abolished in the Cape on December 1, 1834. The British parliament passed the Slave Emancipation Act in 1833, banning its policy of enslaving and transporting Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Islands.
In remembering this history, we revisit the tragedy of ancestral loss and dislocation and give voice to those silenced.
Founded in 1988, World Aids Day became the first ever global health day commemoration.
It takes place on December 1 each year and presents an opportunity for people across the world to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for those living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from Aids-related illnesses. In line with the current focus on the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on health, lives and livelihoods, the theme for the 2020 observance is global solidarity.