Idabi lenkululeko eQonce

(The Battle for Freedom)

Idabi is a powerful local history exhibition exploring the region’s long history of political resistance and the struggle for freedom and equality. Combining cutting-edge research, previously unseen objects, personal testimonies and exhibition technology, it provides a distinctive local perspective on South Africa’s liberation history.

The exhibition traces the region’s history from the period of independent African chiefdoms and examines Qonce’s pioneering role in the development of black political organisation. The first Native Congress, a forerunner of the African National Congress (ANC), was established in Qonce in December 1891. One of its early meetings was held in the town’s former library, now part of the Amathole Museum.

Idabi also examines the ways in which racial segregation shaped the development of settlements in and around Qonce, including forced removals such as those that created Old Town. Early forms of protest and resistance are explored through events including the Poqo (PAC) attack on the local police station and resistance to a visit to the town by Dr H.F. Verwoerd in the 1960s.
The exhibition follows the history of the region through the Ciskei period, contrasting the spectacle of Ciskei independence celebrations with the funeral of murdered human-rights lawyer Griffiths Mxenge. Objects associated with the Ciskei include a champagne glass used during the inaugural flight of Ciskei International Airways and a ceremonial yellowwood chair associated with President-for-Life Lennox Sebe.

The formation of the local United Democratic Front (UDF), the Bhisho Massacre and the Golf Club attack are explored through personal accounts and digital resources, including QR codes. The exhibition also examines the important role played by the Border Council of Churches in supporting political detainees and their families, students and communities affected by forced removals.

Local school protests are included, as is the history of non-racial sport and its role in bringing together people from different communities despite detention, harassment and banishment.
Idabi concludes by highlighting local struggle stalwarts whose sacrifices contributed to the struggle for freedom and equality. A recording booth invites visitors to share their own memories and experiences, allowing the exhibition to become part of an ongoing process of research, dialogue and the building of a local struggle archive.