The sad beauty of Botshabelo
Before boarding the first of four flights on my journey to Middelburg, I decided to look up ‘top things to do’ in the area.
Along with visiting the Mall, trying biltong and going to Loskop Dam, I was struck by the beautiful colours that appeared on one website, which I later learnt belonged to the work of world-renowned artist Dr Esther Mahlangu in the Ndebele murals that can be found at Botshabelo.
Botshabelo, meaning ‘sanctuary’ in Sotho, was a historical mission station established by German-born Alexander Merensky of the Berlin Missionary Society, with the intention of creating a place in which locals could be educated about the gospel in their native languages.
It was once a place of opportunity for the different cultures and communities of the area to intertwine, however, differing opinions on how to manage the town, tied with a lack of resources and expertise, has led to a gradual degradation of what was once a tourist hotspot in Mpumalanga.
The neglect of this cultural site is apparent as soon as you go through the gates and have to drive down a twisting unkept road.
We were met by a couple of people who were confused as to why we would be there, and a rusted welcome sign, that once informed tourists about different walking routes at the cultural site.
Sadly, none of them are accessible now because of the overgrown flora and fauna that pervades the whole area.
Walking amongst the dilapidated and dishevelled buildings and across the river, you come to the colourful, yet rundown, Ndebele cultural village, where through the dust and rubble you can see the places in which the king and queens would eat, sleep and gather.
Neglect is a recurring theme throughout Botshabelo and is evidenced by the broken windows, lack of electricity, the Lutheran church tower without its bell, and the empty beer bottles.
Despite the lack of upkeep, down in the beautiful valley, through the damage and destruction, you can understand why this ‘sanctuary’ was once a thriving tourist spot.
It seems a shame that the vibrancy that still exudes from the colours in Dr Mahlangu’s murals, can’t be replicated throughout the rest of this once-prestigious cultural site.
