Cape Town - Slavery iron shackles, a copper lid and a brass sundial were just some of the priceless items of cultural and historical significance stolen from Western Cape museums over the past four years.
The slavery iron shackles were solen from George Museum; the Koperdeksel van Stookketel (a copper lid from a boiler) stolen from the Fransie Pienaar Museum; the brass sundial vanished from the Bartolemue Museum; and two small African drums were taken from the Genadendal Museum.
This was revealed by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport that said, since 2019, a total of 11 museums in the province have fallen victim to criminal acts.
Although the department did not have a consolidated amount as to how much these criminal acts have cost the department, Gillion Bosman, MPP DA Western Cape spokesperson on Cultural Affairs and Sport, said the damages inflicted on these museums have already amounted to R500 000.
Asked if she thinks these acts could be a result of organised crime, Tania Colyn, Head of Communications at the department, said they do not have insight into the motives behind the thefts.
‘’It is possibly opportunistic, driven by difficult economic times,’’ she said.
“Any act of vandalism or theft at a museum is damaging to a community. Museums preserve the heritage and stories of a community. When items are stolen or damaged, we lose a little piece of history that was unique to that specific community.”
Bosman said the department, in its commitment to museum protection, had taken several measures to mitigate such incidents.
‘’These include the provision of armed response teams, closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems, and alarm systems to enhance security,’’ he said.
The South African Museum Association (SAMA) said the crime rate in the country, such as burglaries, theft, and vandalism, negatively affects the heritage sector.
They said museums were the custodians of the country’s unique and invaluable national estate.
Dr Bongani Ndhlovu from SAMA said since 2019, a portion of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation’s mandate had been to investigate the theft of heritage objects and the trafficking thereof out of the country.
He said a pilot project between key role players and the Hawks was undertaken to educate and equip museum staff on how to verify their collections and to keep them intact and protected.
Ndhlovu added this would enable early identification of loss either because an object was displayed elsewhere or stolen.
‘’This pilot project led to the creation of a standardised template audit document that all Museum staff across the country can use to regularly audit/verify their museum collections and will enable museums to detect and report heritage crime,’’ said Ndhlovu.
He said museums have immense educational value.
“They inspire communities about social, cultural, natural, economic, and technological advances and most importantly, they make meaningful contributions to improving our shortcomings as humankind.
‘’Museums and their collections have enabled communities to get a glimpse of objects and information that were used, for example, in the health sciences to perform the first heart transplant,’’ he said.
“Through a close encounter with such objects, our young South Africans and innovators are inspired daily.’’