GRAAFF-REINET — The future of the Graaff-Reinet Museum Complex is in jeopardy as the institution is facing its biggest financial crisis to date.

The Graaff-Reinet Museum is of inestimable value to Graaff-Reinet as a public facility, research institution, tourist attraction and custodian of the heritage of the region. Since its establishment in 1956 it has grown to become the fifth largest museum in the Eastern Cape and one of the most visited. It has four culturally irreplaceable nineteenth century buildings in its property portfolio and wide ranging collections of national signifi cance in its care. 

Museums, in general, have become such an important part of Graaff-Reinet’s ethos that it is virtually inconceivable to imagine the town without them. The primary buildings of the museum complex comprise of Urquhart House and The Old Residency both c. 1818, The Old Library c. 1847 and the flagship, Reinet House (the former DR Church parsonage) c.1812 including more recent outbuildings.

The Museum has for the past number of years endured considerable financial hardship owing to the decrease in visitor numbers, declining income and the concurrent escalation in running costs. Entrance fees and sales from the museum shop remain the main source of income, while the annual provincial subsidy is barely enough to cover the museum’s considerable insurance bill. At the recent Annual General Meeting is was brought to the attention of the public that the museum is experiencing a severe financial crisis which might compel the Board of Trustees to close the doors of the museum in the not too distant future.

Possibly even more pervasive is the difficulty in raising funds in an adverse economic environment.

To complicate matters the museum is confronted with the gradual numerical attrition of provincial staff appointees to a position where they have now, for more than a year, operated with only two, of a total administrative compliment of six, posts fi lled. Four general assistant posts remain and truly form the backbone of the staff component. By far the biggest problems for the Board are staffing and maintenance of buildings.

They simply do not have the finance nor earning power currently to employ numbers of personnel, at realistic salaries for the skill and qualification levels required, and will remain reliant on outside funding for this. The chances of filling vacant Departmental posts in the foreseeable future (or ever for that matter) is extremely slim indeed, owing to austerity measures within the Department.

The Board of Trustees, who keep the museum buildings in trust for the Graaff-Reinet community, cannot keep up with the costly maintenance of these heritage buildings. The maintenance of buildings requires additional funding and the Museum Complex does not have the money to replace thatch roofs, buy a polisher, fix leaking roofs and the like. All that they can do is to practice good housekeeping techniques to keep the collections spotless.

The fi nancial statements refl ect that the complex is operating at a defi cit of almost R30 000 per month - pleas to the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the MEC remain unheeded and no benefactor has stepped forward notwithstanding numerous requests for funding.

Over the years the institution has taken the lead in developing and continuously re-interpreting its exhibitions and collections. It was the fi rst museum in the province to establish a transformation exhibition - namely the Robert Sobukwe exhibition - and the first to establish an accredited walk-in fire arm safe. While two Lotto Grants helped in realizing this, the funds were allocated towards specific projects and could not be used for the day-to-day operating expenses of the museums.

Despite all these developments, the subsidy granted to the Museum Complex’s Board of Trustees to run the institution, remained the same at R230 000 per annum.

The Board of Trustees, however, is not sitting idly by watching the crumbling edifice of the museum from the side-lines but has recently, as a product of a brain storming session, launched the Save Reinet House Programme to build up a maintenance fund over the longer term. The core idea behind this scheme is to canvas donors to donate, preferably via debit / stop order, a monthly or regular sum of money of there choice. The programme has now been running for a month or two and a number of very generous donations have already been received. If you are handed a bright orange ticket please do not toss it into the dustbin after reading it.

Should you be unable to assist please hand the ticket to someone who you think may.

Debit orders, for as little as R20, can be made out to Graaff-Reinet Museum, Standard Bank, Graaff-Reinet, Account Number 082522863.

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