Belinda Hlaka (57) has been the Curator of Workers’ History at the Workers’ Museum in Newtown for over a decade. She is responsible for maintaining the museum and enjoys mentoring others. The Workers’ Museum reveals migrant workers’ hardships through exhibitions and photography. It shows the slave-like conditions workers endured as depicted in the museum’s permanent exhibition, which includes the original dormitories, concrete bunks and punishment rooms. As curator, her responsibility is to conceptualise and execute exhibitions. Before the interview, Belinda takes a group of tourists on a museum tour. Although it’s not her main function, she stands in as a tour guide since the museum currently does not have one. It’s clear she knows the museum’s history off the top of her head and answers questions elaborately.
“The history of workers is very crucial in our country because the workers played a big role, especially in our economy. The museum talks about workers’ role,” she says.
A part of the museum that stands out for her is the recruitment policy. She says back in the day, only men were recruited. “Now there are women, and the status quo has changed. Black women are now getting opportunities too,” she adds.
Belinda joined the museum in 2012. She was headhunted because of her knowledge and experience. She has an active involvement in unions. She was trained by the South African Municipal Workers Union as a shop steward.
She joined the City in 1996 and started at Mofolo Art Centre, where she taught children about art and artistic formations and also steered community projects. After a decade, she joined Uncle Tom’s Community Centre to develop community care and led a tribute to artists in Joburg. She approached artists who were working during the apartheid era.
This led to the creation of the Tribute to Courage sculpture adjacent to Hector Pieterson’s statue.
She also had a stint at the Roodepoort Museum as Curator and at Museum Africa as Curator: Public Programmes.
Belinda holds a Fine Arts diploma. She also studied curatorship and was part of the first group to study through the First Johannesburg Africus Biennale in 1995. After apartheid, there was a need to train black people to become curators. Another highlight was when she was nominated for community builder of the year.
In her job, she had the opportunity to travel to Mexico, and she had a placement in the United Kingdom for three months.
Belinda grew up in Kagiso on the West Rand. She is an artist and an activist for art. She believes her love for art comes from her uncle, who loved drawing. After retirement in a few years, she plans on pursuing her illusion art full time.
She raised her three children as a single mother. Today they have successful careers. One is a doctor, the other is a civil engineer and the third is an artist.
Belinda enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren.
Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
26/05/2023
