KZN Museum more relevant than ever

Renowned archaeologist Dr Gavin Whitelaw said museums had much to offer human development because they provided a historical account of man and animals.

He was speaking at a gathering last week to celebrate the 120- year anniversary of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum.

Whitelaw said it would continue to be the torch bearer in research because the museum remained rooted to its founding values.

“One thing that has struck me is that the museum has stuck to its core mission, which is mainly to educate about the natural and cultural world. That is probably one of the reasons it continues to appeal to and be relevant to young and old,” said Whitelaw.

He noted that while museums were now battling in the information provision space, with television and the internet at the centre, there were features that made the institution a cut above the rest, one of them being education outreach programmes as well as research.

Some of the events the museum has hosted include:

• Hosting local schools as part of Arbor Week celebrations to encourage young minds to connect with nature and raise awareness on the important role plants and trees play in our environment.

• Commemorating Biodiversity Day by hosting a recycling competition aimed at educating attendees about biodiversity and South Africa’s national symbols as part of celebrating 30 years of democracy in 2024.

• Conducting a blanket drive in July to mark Mandela Day to help the needy.

“Before Covid-19 we had about 80 000 visitors a year, which is quite a massive number. The last time figures like that had been recorded for visits at the museum had been in the 1970s. This means in areas such as education outreach programmes we are doing quite well,” said the archaeologist.

One of the distinct features of the museum, Whitelaw continued, is that it is the only one in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa that publishes its own research journals.

The archaeologist believes the museum can make a greater contribution to the cultural landscape, especially in the area of research if more funding was made available. With the country’s economy still performing well below expectations, he admitted this was highly unlikely.

“When the economy is performing badly, museums are the first to experience budget cuts, and this should not be the case because they have a lot to contribute to society,” he said.

While there were other streams of funding available, currently the Natural Research Foundation remained the primary source of funding when research projects were undertaken.

Asked whether the Pietermaritzburg-based cultural institution was the best in the country, he said: “We want to be the best at what we do.”