In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie describes the restoration of the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village in 2006. The article was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 27 January 2007. Click here to view more of Lucille's work.
The first phase of the restoration of the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village in Soweto is almost complete, with the mythical figures coming alive again with the help of one of the original builders.
The City has managed to trace Musa Ntanzi, the person who was second in command to Mutwa during the construction of the village in the 1970s and 80s.
Musa Ntunzi at the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village (Lucille Davie)
The village, consisting of symbolic clay sculptures and buildings on a site of several hectares in Central Western Jabavu, was created by artist, author and traditional healer Mutwa in 1974 and left incomplete when he vacated the site in 1986. Now in his 80s, Mutwa is still alive and still practises as a sangoma.
The large sculptures of human and animal figures depict African culture and folklore, together with a number of thatched huts, constructed in a variety of African building styles. After many years of neglect, the figures had chipped noses and hands, and peeling...
