Schapera, Van Rensburg and Bergs
Sandy Grant | Wednesday April 13, 2016 15:29
Yet that something is, ‘knowing nothing’. It does seem ridiculous doesn’t it? But let’s start with van Rensburg.
I was with a small group of people the other day and the conversation had turned to the past when I mentioned Swaneng and van Rensburg. Swaneng’, immediately queried the expat lady who has lived here for a number of years, ‘do you mean Jwaneng’? It immediately turned out that she had never heard of Swaneng School and knew nothing about van Rensburg and his remarkable achievements.
Wow. But on second thoughts, how could she? So now jump to Isaac Schapera and in his case, to his photos.
Wanting to check something about the new museum in Moruleng in South Africa, I stumbled on this comment from Totem Media which created the museum. Quote.
‘The renowned anthropologist Isaac Schapera worked and lived with the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela while researching and writing his legendary book, Married Life in an African Tribe. Totem Media tracked the photographs he took during this time (which at first seemed to have disappeared) to the Royal Anthropological Society in London, which kindly digitised all the Schapera photographs in their collection and gifted them to the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela Archive for research and educational use.’
Unquote. Two, perhaps three, obvious points arise but I will stick to one, the ‘not known’ factor.
No one apparently knew where Schapera’s photos had gone. It just happened that I had narrated, in this column at the end of January this year, the saga of Schapera’s photos and explained how they had ended up with the Royal Anthropological Institute in London.
Others, as it now turns out, hadn’t a clue where they had gone i.e. didn’t know. Which links Schapera with van Rensburg.
But what about Mr Hanns Bergs? Yes indeed. Hanns who? It just happens that Mr Bergs is the architect who designed the remarkable Orapa House in Gaborone. So, another ‘not known’ which links the three gentlemen together.
But there is a bit more to add about Mr Bergs and his building which from the exterior at least must be the most interesting in Gaborone. I have recently had a peep at photos of the interior and it is stunning.
The government now owns the building which currently stands empty and unused. What an opportunity for it to open it to the general public for a sighter, if that is the appropriate word to use.
Right now, we don’t know much about Bergs and we know even less about the interior of his great building. It cannot be often that an empty building devoid of furnishings, would be of much interest to anyone.
But this building is exceptional and for anyone interested in the diamond industry or in architecture – think of all those students – this one could be a revelation.
For the 50th anniversary, what would be more appropriate than to open it for public enjoyment and gain?