Statue Wars have been raging in many cities in the world with South African students leading the charge having protested against the Cecil John Rhodes statue on the campus of the University of Cape Town. It was eventually toppled and the protests that spread across South Africa spilled over to Oxford University in the UK, while in the US, Confederate monuments were targeted in Charlottesville. Do these statues normalise the past or should they be kept serving as a reminder of deeds and philosophies that should not be repeated? If you walk around any big city in Europe, you are struck by the fact that London, Paris or Madrid are basically monuments to colonialism which raises the question of whether it makes any sense to tear down statues or in the case of the Rand Club in Johannesburg; whether closing it down would contribute to erase the exclusivity and racism associated with it. The Economist writes about a group of young black people who believe it is better to transform the club. – Linda van Tilburg
By Thulasizwe Sithole
The Rand Club in Johannesburg is the oldest private members’ club in the city, and it used to be a bastion of powerful, white men. Right up to the year in which Nelson Mandela was released from prison, it allowed no women or blacks as members. It is situated near the mining houses and was ‘once the centre of power in Johannesburg’. Members included Cecil John Rhodes and Lion Philips. Like many other private members clubs, it imposed strict rules of decorum like ‘no drinks in the billiards room’ in case the tinkling sound of ice in a glass distracted players. The club’s bar that is more than 31 metres long is one of the longest in Africa; it is clearly a place that encourages serious drinking.
In the past; the club was unapologetic about serving a ‘racist business elite’. There is a rumour that the zodiac signs depicted in the dĂ©cor does not include a Virgo as it is a female sign and ‘any member who dared to sponsor a black friend would most likely have been ostracised or blackballed’. The traditions of the Club make it a relic of the past and it is ironic that there is still a room named after Rhodes who was a co-founder in an era when protesters were so keen to get rid of any trace of him.
There are however a group of younger members and interestingly – they are black and female – who decided ‘it is better to transform the club than close it’. One of them is Alicia Thompson who used to walk past the club before the end of apartheid and she would notice the fancy cars and says she ‘never questioned where you couldn’t go’. Thompson is now part of a group who believes that it should be transformed.
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In 2016 the exodus of businesses from Johannesburg’s CBD led to a dwindling of numbers from thousands in its heyday to only a few hundred and the club found itself in financial difficulties. The club was lent R6.5m by Rick Currie, a fourth generation member and two other members. It was agreed that the Rand would be revamped and that it could be used for ‘weddings, parties, opera recitals and jazz nights’. Rooms can be rented in the club via the site Booking.com and African artists are invited to exhibit their works. This has completely changed the image of the Rand Club and has helped it financially. There is also a bookshop and tailor on hand.
There are those who would still see the Rand Club ‘as a relic of a backward era’. Thompson however thinks that ‘it is transcending its history’. A painting of Queen Elizabeth II has been removed and it has been replaced by one of Nelson Mandela. ”His steady gaze is a reminder that change can happen, even in the most unexpected places.”
