Martha told the Herald that she comes from an eminent Phalaborwa family, and she saw it fit to build something that would explain the family’s lineage and heritage to the younger generations. “The museum is not only for the Malatji family, but for the entire community of Phalaborwa and anyone interested in the history of the royal house.  This is still an ongoing project, and is at the beginning stage,” she says.

“I started by collecting all the items which we utilise daily such as calabashes, clothing made from animal skin which was worn in the old days, and other materials.” The museum houses statues of two important figures of the Malatji family, Matome and Matlaleni Malatji, that were placed in front of the family drums that have been in the royal house for generations until disappeared without a trace. The museum is situated in Martha’s entertainment venue, Sekgowane Sunset Lodge, and is open to the public.

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Sekgowane is her grandfather’s name, and the museum is named after him. “I will continue to fight to preserve the family’s history and will invest in the project so that our greatgrandchildren know where we come from. “The museum has the genealogy of the Malatji family starting from Kgolwane Malatji to Mmankare,” she told the Herald.