Few statesmen enjoy such universal admiration as former South African President Nelson Mandela, the man who led the way on South Africa’s long road to freedom. For many years Mandela lived with his family in Soweto in this simple brick bungalow with concrete floors, and it was to here that he returned after his release from prison in 1990.
When Nelson and Winnie Mandela split in 1996, the then president donated the house to ensure that “8115 Orlando West” – an address familiar to all South Africans – would remain as a monument to the anti-apartheid movement. The house has since been sensitively restored and visitors can see exhibits and humble household objects which add a personal touch to the story of its occupants’ heroic struggle.
The Mandela Family Museum is in Soweto, in Johannesburg’s south-west, just over half an hour’s drive from the city center.
