Liliesleaf Farm in Rivionia, north of Johannesburg, will reopen in June 2008 for people wanting to tour the former secret headquarters of the African National Congress’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a statement said on Thursday.
The farm was purchased in 1961 by the South African Communist Party and — according to the Liliesleaf Trust website — it was where the most prominent leaders of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle sought refuge. The movement engaged in strategy and planning sessions on the farm, which is considered the birthplace of MK.
Police raided the farm on July 11 1963, after arriving in a dry-cleaning and flower van and arrested a number of senior leaders.
The Rivonia trial followed between 1963 and 1964, in which ten leaders of the ANC were tried for 221 acts of sabotage to overthrow the apartheid regime.
The outbuildings on the farm housed printing presses which produced ANC literature and the first test broadcasts of Radio Freedom were carried out on the farm using a lightning conductor as a transmitter.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela had moved onto the farm in October 1961 and evaded security police while masquerading as a gardener and cook called David Motsamayi (meaning ”the walker”).
The farm now has a library and archive centre and a Liberation Centre will house a crèche, curio and coffee shop. The centre also has a 66-seater auditorium.
For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected], or by calling +27-11-469-5082/3/4/5. – Sapa