Visit: District Six Museum, 25A Buitenkant Street, Cape Town Central 8001 South Africa
The District Six Museum caters for locals as well as foreigners, and is an educational experience for both adults and children. Visitors learn about this once multi-racial, colourful hub for musicians, artists, and ‘good’ and ‘bad’ gangsters, that faced a 20-year long period of demolition and forced removals during the apartheid era. Engage with photographs, recordings and testimonials, which offer further insight into the turbulence of apartheid. In between exhibitions, share in the stories of District Six with engaging and friendly staff members, the majority of whom were displaced residents themselves and have intimate and personal stories to share.
Be warned: it is impossible not to be emotionally touched when visiting this site. Nevertheless, it is an important place to visit to help create a stronger understanding of South Africa’s rich history. Make a point of joining in on a guided tour from a genuine ex-resident of the original District Six. You will gain a real sense of what it was like for the people back in those days.