A tour of Community House with veteran activist Shirley Gunn
It is an honour to welcome Shirley Gunn as our guide for this very special tour of Community House in Salt River.
Shirley Gunn is a former trade unionist, anti-apartheid activist, and freedom fighter. Some of you may know her from our Castle of Good Hope tour — she successfully planted a limpet mine there in 1988. For over two decades, she has directed the Human Rights Media Centre (HRMC), promoting awareness and activism through oral history projects, media, and educational materials. She also chairs the South African Coalition for Transitional Justice, campaigning for truth, accountability, and reparations. Her recent book, Voices from the Underground, collects eighteen life stories of ANC military underground members. Shirley works at Community House as Director of both HRMC and SACTJ. Few people are better placed to show us around.
About Community House
Community House opened in August 1987 as a base for trade unions, civic organisations, and anti-apartheid activists. By the mid-1980s, activists had transformed it into a hub of mass resistance. In 2010, the state declared it a provincial heritage site. It still houses organisations fighting for social change today. Inside, seven permanent memorials honour activists the apartheid state detained, tortured, and killed — among them Imam Haron, Neil Aggett, Ashley Kriel, and Jeanette Curtis.
We will move through the murals, memory gardens, and ground-floor meeting rooms. Afterwards, we head to Shirley’s office for coffee — and a chance to browse handmade toys, bags, notebooks, and baskets by the Umoja Wamama Crafters Cooperative.
Community House is already a highlight of my street art tours.
Enquiries or reservations via mobile: +27 (0)72 377 8014 or email: kate@cultureconnectsa.com
Date: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Time: 10am – 12pm
Venue: Community House, 41 Salt River Rd, Salt River, Cape Town
Cost: R400pp (R300pp if paid before September)
