South End Museum

The South End Museum is no ordinary museum. It stands for the diversity of the people of the South End suburb in Port Elizabeth. Located on the corner of Humewood Road and Walmer Boulevard in South End, this museum displays photographs of and life of the people of the area before the 1970 Apartheid government.

South End was a peaceful, harmonious community that comprised a mix of people. However, under the Groups Areas Act enacted by the apartheid government homes of different racial groups were relocated and segregated. Some of the displays in the museum include a map that shows the places that the families were relocated to. There are photographs and information on the atrocities carried out on the basis of racial discrimination. The museum tour starts with an introductory video that has conversations with witnesses. Displays also include memorabilia that is donated by those who lived in South End. The museum remembers the inclusive past and has records of the history that unfolded after the passage of the act. The South End Museum was inaugurated on Human Rights Day in 2001 and is a poignant reminder of the history that generations to come must learn from.