As CEO of the Nelson Mandela Museum, Bonke Tyhulu stands both on the shoulders of a giant and in the shadow of greatness. Mandela was a statesman, a leader, a Nobel laureate, and one of the greatest leaders this continent has ever produced. ‘We’re talking about the legacy of a global icon,’ says Tyhulu. ‘That makes the museum – and my role here as CEO – completely unique in a number of ways. We are expected to be like Nelson Mandela. It’s a very complex but very exciting mandate.’

Tyhulu admits to feeling the weight of that responsibility. ‘Madiba was a different breed,’ he says. ‘As a museum, we always have to keep in touch with what he stood for. How do we translate his values into an organisation like ours, which has so many different personalities? How do our different backgrounds come together to help in disseminating Madiba’s values – values like ubuntu, integrity, innovation, stewardship, service excellence and development and learning – to the general public? It’s a complex task but everybody’s enjoying it.’

The Nelson Mandela Museum opened its doors in 2000, exactly 10 years after Mandela’s release from prison. At the time, he insisted that it should not be a static collection and tribute to him but rather a living memorial to his values and vision, inspiring and enriching visitors while serving as a catalyst for development.

It’s based in Mthatha, on the N2, in the heart of the Eastern Cape and at the gateway to the Wild Coast. As such, it naturally plays a key role in the region’s social and economic development. Tyhulu and his team take that responsibility very seriously. ‘There are no bigger industries where we are located, so having a national asset like our museum – which attracts both domestic visitors and people from abroad – means we’re an important beacon of hope,’ he says.

Renovations recently began at the Nelson Mandela Museum Youth and Heritage Centre in Mandela’s childhood home of Qunu, half an hour’s drive from Mthatha. Maintenance work at the centre, which serves as a catalyst for youth and community development programmes, will include building, electrical and civil. The project will cost about ZAR35.5 million, create approximately 49 direct job opportunities and benefit local SMEs. ‘We have achieved quite a lot since 2000,’ says Tyhulu. ‘The museum has facilitated various development programmes in Qunu alone, where we were active in the provision of a filling station, a warehouse and so on.’

In addition to that infrastructure work, the museum and heritage centre are both key contributors to the region’s tourism sector. ‘We have become an active player in cultural tourism,’ says Tyhulu. ‘We have visitors coming to the museum in Mthatha because we are an international attraction, and many will also go into the province – to Qunu, for example – to visit other areas and attractions. In the process, that contributes to the growth of the economy in the Eastern Cape.’

As for long-term development, Tyhulu says the museum plays a leading role in promoting education through partnerships with national and international institutions. ‘We have been able to take learners from across South Africa to other countries, to be part of international youth programmes,’ he says. ‘So we are doing quite well in terms of promoting not only the Eastern Cape, but also the country in general. When you talk about Nelson Mandela, everybody starts listening. Everybody knows Mandela, and they know what Mandela stood for. ‘Those values live on through the museum, so by projecting Mandela as a global icon, the museum projects a positive image of South Africa. It changes how the world sees our country.’

Speaking to Tyhulu, it’s obvious he is proud of – and profoundly inspired by – his work at the Nelson Mandela Museum. ‘Everybody wants to be part of the museum,’ he says. ‘Not everybody can access the gifts that Mandela had. As the museum staff, we have unlimited access to that, while visitors can only be shown limited parts of it. That is inspiring and exciting, but also challenging. We are judged by Nelson Mandela’s standards. How do we maintain those standards as individuals, and as an organisation?’

So there’s that shadow … or those giant’s shoulders.

‘When I look at his leadership and what he faced as the first democratically elected president of South Africa, what stands out is the way he promoted responsibility,’ says Tyhulu. ‘He taught that you are not only responsible for your own actions, but you are also accountable for whatever comes out of those actions. He taught accountable leadership, ethical leadership, transparent leadership. Those are the values we promote at the Nelson Mandela Museum. It’s a monumental task, but we are all excited to be part of it.’

By Mark van Dijk