“I shed a few tears because I saw so many people that I haven’t seen for over 45 years. It is so beautiful that the Almighty has spared us all these years to see the people of District Six congregate for this special day.”

Ismail “Bolla” Buffkins was speaking at the 30th anniversary of the District Six Museum, where ex-residents, staff, directors and stakeholders gathered to dance, celebrate and reunite on Saturday December 14 at the Homecoming Centre.

The District Six Museum 30-year celebration cake

This year, the museum celebrated three decades of preserving the history and stories of the vibrant District Six community who were forcibly removed during Apartheid.

Mareldia Arnold from Woodstock and Gadija Simons from Retreat danced to the music of District Six, where they grew up.

The District Six Museum was first launched on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 1994, and opened its doors in the old Central Methodist Mission Church at 25A Buitenkant Street with the exhibition called Streets: Retracing District Six, featuring the 75 original street signs which hung in three laddered columns as a backdrop to the street map – a tangible reminder of “home” – which is still exhibited at the museum today.

Amelia Brinkhuis from Vanguard, with Priscilla and Connie Jacobs, both from Kensington.

Bolla, who is fondly known as the mayor of District Six and a legend in the community, was part of the first group of “coloureds” during Apartheid to perform on stages at the Artscape, the then Nico Malan theatre. “If you are from District Six and you don’t have any skill - you cannot sing, dance, act, bake or sew - then I don’t know where you are from because I believe each and every person born in District Six had a gift.”

Bolla, who now lives in Wynberg, was a dancer, fashion model and hairdresser, and a good friend of Kewpie, an iconic queer figure and hairdresser from District Six, and subject of a memory project which Bolla now works with.

He said District Six was a space for everyone, and he, like many others, were grateful that their memories could live on through the museum.

Zaidah Mohamed from Observatory and Kariema Theunissen from Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain.

Ishmail “Bolla” Buffkins, now living in Wynberg, stands behind his friend from District Six, Aziz Bardien, from Tafelsig in Mitchell’s Plain.

District Six collections manager Chrischene Julius said since the museum opened its doors 30 years ago, it has become a precious and important space for the people who were forcibly removed when the Apartheid government declared it a white area under the Group Areas Act in 1966. “This is no mean feat as an independent museum and has only been possible with the ongoing support of community members, volunteers and many more.”

Faiek Simons, from Retreat, and Johanna Anthony, from Eersteriver, are also ex-residents.

She said this was a time to celebrate the ex-residents as the space would not be what it is without them.

Judge Siraj Desai, chairperson of the District Six Museum board, said the museum had been kept alive by the vibrant community of ex-residents, directors, staff and stakeholders.

Mareldia Arnold from Woodstock, Faldiela Theunissen from Lentegeur, Mitchell’s Plain and Milly Davids from Beacon Valley in Mitchell’s Plain admire the cake.

“It was in the shambles of the destruction of District Six that this museum was born, amidst the sadness, the demolished houses, churches and buildings and of Hanover Street itself.

Judge Siraj Desai, chairperson of the District Six Museum board.

He said in the 1980s, there was a vision to create a memorial to record not only the buildings but the ethos of District Six. He said the founding members were instrumental in the vision of recording the memories of the people of District Six.

Faldielah James and Gadijah Simons from Retreat.

“This museum records the culture and values of District Six. We need to keep the notion alive that there was once a community here that was demolished and destroyed.”

At the centre of the launch was the memory cloth, created by ex-residents, which contains written embroidered messages from former residents.

Hand-written messages by ex-District Six residents embroidered on the memory cloth.

According to a statement from the District Six Museum, in October 1992, during the District Six commemorative week at the Buitenkant Street Methodist Church, a length of unbleached calico was pinned to a wall, and felt tip pens were set aside for residents to write their names and addresses.

These memory cloths hold the memories and longing of many District Sixers. They also hold the expressions of solidarity visitors feel when they visit the museum.

Over 30 years, the museum had collected more than 300 metres of names, addresses and memories on cloth.

Head of exhibitions at the District Six Museum Tina Smith said the idea was conceptualised when the team thought about the thread that holds ex-residents together. She said there was a need for people to write, express themselves and feel connected to District Six. “There were many stories, and many hands that helped with the embroidery.”

The ex-residents and stakeholders at the birthday celebration sang, danced and enjoyed the day catching up with their long lost neighbours.