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Liliesleaf is uniquely connected with the Rivonia trial - which came to represent the essence of the liberation struggle and focused world attention on South Africa. The media surrounding the trial and the harsh sentencing of the accused catapulted the atrocities of South Africa onto the international stage. The trialists became international icons of a struggle against an oppressive regime.
In addition, Liliesleaf Farm is acknowledged to be the birth place of MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe - Spear of the Nation). MK was the military wing of the ANC, and the farm was the nerve centre from which the MK leadership planned the struggle for liberation and justice. It was at Liliesleaf farm where the high command met to plan Operation Mayibuye – the plan to overthrow the apartheid regime. The outhouse buildings on Liliesleaf housed the printing presses which were producing freedom literature; and it was from the brick structure that the inhabitants of the farm broadcast the first test of radio freedom using the lightening conductor as an Arial transmitter.
It has all been reconstructed back to its original state of the 1960’s after being almost destroyed by the apartheid police and now hosts conference facilities and soon to come is a hotel,
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the owner is the son of Harold Wolpe and was brought up in the UK before coming back to South Africa.
There is a small cinema (60 seats) that start the tour with a brief history of the Apartheid times in the 60’s then you move through to the main house. It is quite an interactive attraction with famous speeches broadcast in each of the rooms and descriptions of the main participators. Some of these included Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki (Father of South Africa’s ex president Thabo Mbeki), Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Bram Fischer, Joe Slovo, Ruth First, Raymond Mhaba, Rusty Bernstein, Bob Hepple, Harold Wolpe, and Denis Goldberg. Many of these individuals were discovered in the police’s raid on Liliesleaf farm, and tried in the subsequent Rivonia Treason Trial. You move around the area through to all the main places that were used for hiding ANC members and planning operations, including the coal bunker where Nelson Mandela’s diarys and notebooks were discovered buried in a box and covered by a tonne of coal.
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It is quite an enlightening experience as, coming from the UK, we did not hear much about what was happening in South Africa at the times of these trials and it was good for me to go to Liliesleaf and see first hand how and why all this happened.
Costs for entrance are R45 for South Africans and R95 for foreigners; this does include a guide if you request one.
Tim Cartwright
Journey Beyond Specialist Consultant
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