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LLiliesleaf Farm was for many years a meeting place and hide-out for top African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) personnel.
Liliesleaf Farm is widely regarded as the birthplace of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and was the site of the Liliesleaf Farm police raid on 11 July 1963 that resulted in the Rivonia Treason Trials and eventual incarceration of many senior ANC leaders, including Nelson Mandela (who was not arrested in the raid), Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Raymond Mhlaba and Walter Sisulu.
The South African Communist Party bought the farm in August 1961 to use as headquarters for their efforts against the apartheid regime. At the same time, the ANC was moving its emphasis away from passive resistance and beginning to focus more on an armed struggle.
The Goldreich family moved in to masquerade as the white owners of the property and Nelson Mandela himself lived here while posing as a cook-cum-gardener under the name of David Motsamayi.
The Liliesleaf Farm Museum tells the story of the many people who changed the political landscape of South Africa. The trustees of the Liliesleaf Farm Museum want this landmark to rival Robben Island as an historical tourism attraction. Its aim is to create a unique facility that will ensure the preservation of the history and legacy of the farm.
Did You Know?
TTravel tips & planning info
Who to contact
Liliesleaf Farm Trust
Tel: +27 (0) 11 803 7882/3/4
Email: yolande@llt.co.za
How to get here
Liliesleaf Farm is at 7 George Avenue in Rivonia, Johannesburg. It is on many bus and taxi routes, and easily accessible by car.
Best time to visit
Liliesleaf Farm Museum is open from 8.30am to 5pm during the week and 9am and 4pm on weekends and public holidays. It is closed on December 25 and 26 as well as January 1.
Things to do
Visit other important museums in Johannesburg, in particular Constitution Hill in Braamfontein, the Apartheid Museum at Gold Reef City, and in Soweto Nelson Mandela’s House and the Hector Pieterson Museum.
What to pack
Your camera and comfortable shoes.
Where to stay
There are numerous guesthouses, hotels and award-winning boutique hotels in and around the Rivonia area.
What to eat
There's an excellent cafeteria ‘Cedric’s Café’ on site at Liliesleaf selling light meals and refreshments.
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South Africa on social media
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