An Agent o Heritage: Nic Wolpe's Enduring Legacy

Like his favourite fictional secret agent, James Bond, Nic Wolpe had several brushes with death. As an infant, he survived a rare pneumonia he contracted as a 6-week old baby. As an adult, he survived a benign spinal tumour, a heart attack, and a few other near death experiences.

On Saturday 24th August 2024, he passed away after a two-year battle against a brain tumour. He was only 61-years-old.

Nic’s life wasn’t easy. He bore the trauma of being born into a struggle family. His parents, AnnMarie and Harold Wolpe, were prominent during the struggle years and beyond. Harold avoided being tried and sentenced along with Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and the others in the famous Rivonia trial, by escaping from prison in August 1963 with Arthur Goldreich, Mosie Moola and Abdulah Jassat. The escape made international headline news and Harold fled to the UK where AnnMarie joined him, followed three months later in October 1963 by their daughters Tessa and Peta. Nic was only able to joined his family in the spring of 1964 as he was too weak following the pneumonia.

Nic’s childhood was hard. He described feeling lonely and suffered from severe dyslexia. One of his teacher’s told AnnMarie that he wouldn’t even be able to work as a dustman. However, Nic was tenacious and driven, and went on to obtain a degree in Sociology in 1988 at the University of Warwick in the UK.

His first job was with Joel Joffe, one of the Rivonia trial lawyers, at Allied Dunbar, a life insurance company. He came home from work one day in 1990 to find AnnMarie on the phone, when she handed him the receiver Nelson Mandela, who’d only recently been released, was speaking to him. The next day Nic recounted the story to his colleagues who all laughed saying tell us another joke!

Nic took the decision to return to South Africa in December 1991 shortly after AnnMarie and Harold had also returned. Nic’s first job was working in a bar at Cape Town’s Waterfront, later he joined Operation Hunger, South Africa’s foremost NGO helping to feed the poor. He worked for the Electoral Commission of South Africa on voter education in rural communities, finally becoming a business consultant in 2000.

It was at this time that he became interested in Liliesleaf, its history and its role as the nerve centre of the liberation struggle. Liliesleaf was the headquarters of the underground movement. On the 11th July 1963, the ANC held one last meeting there, but the police raided the farm and many of the leaders were arrested and received life sentences at the Rivonia trial (so called because Liliesleaf is in the suburb of Rivonia).

Nic came up with the idea to make Liliesleaf a place of inspiration, of liberation, of dialogue and a place to keep memory alive. He approached Mendi Msimang, whom he knew when Mendi was the Chief Representative of the ANC in the UK, and with his encouragement, Nic forged ahead. In 2001 President Thabo Mbeki announced the formation of the Liliesleaf Trust.

Nic realised that they first needed to acquire the farm and the main buildings. He needed funding and Mendi introduced Nic to Adam Fleming, businessman and nephew of Ian Fleming, the famous author of the James Bond novels, and asked him to become a trustee. In February of 2002 Adam invited Nic to join him for breakfast. By the end of that breakfast, Nic’s journey in creating, what is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, had began.

Some 40 years after his father, Harold Wolpe, had signed the purchase of Liliesleaf in 1961, Nic was buying it back. He created a remarkable interactive museum full of press clippings, video recordings, and memoirs. Not only did Nic create a museum that enabled many to learn about this pivotal moment in South African history, but he also created a place of dialogue and engagement. He had an auditorium built – an amazing space for meetings and conferences. For him Liliesleaf was a way of honouring the people who gave to the cause.

Nic was also advocating for the important role of heritage. He believed that South Africa doesn’t dedicate sufficient resources and interest in preserving history and heritage sites. While the Liliesleaf he created was to commemorate a seminal point in South Africa’s history it was also to be a beacon of human memory. He wrote numerous articles and gave many talks on the subject. He rightly said:

“Liliesleaf is more than just a historical site that is rich with history and tradition. It is what underlies this rich history and tradition which ultimately personifies the essence and meaning of the site. It is a site of memory that recalls the stories and events through immersive and dynamic interactive exhibitions, and in so doing ensures that this period in South Africa’s recent history is preserved for current and future generations.”

Nic firmly believed that “the notion of the past speaking to and defining the present links to one of the most popular models of memory, which sees memory as a present act of consciousness that is reconstructive of the past.” For his work, he received the Royal Order of the Polar Star, a knighthood on behalf of the King of Sweden. The Swedish Ambassador said:

“Nic and Liliesleaf are devoted to memory against forgetting. Nic has carried the flag for Sweden and taken our partnership forward.”

Nic was so engaging and so good with people from all walks of life. He gave generously, whether that was to build up the people who worked with him and propel them into careers or simply giving money to someone struggling on the side of the road. Nic treated everyone the same and many of Liliesleaf staff looked up to him like a father.

A tribute to Nic cannot be written without mention of his children who he loved and who the legacy project was always about: the next generation.

In July of this year the 46th World Heritage Committee approved South Africa’s two bids for inclusion on the prestigious World Heritage Listing. Liliesleaf is one of the sites included in the Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites. This prestigious award was borne out of Nic’s work spanning more than 20 years to create a place of memory, a place of history, a place of engagement and a commemoration of vital moments in South Africa’s history.

We will miss you Nic – your unbelievable memory, your animated recountings of the Marx brother scenes from their movies, your love of music and particularly Elvis Presley, your sense of humour, Manchester Unites and that cheeky twinkle in your eye when you smiled.

Nic is survived by his older sisters, Peta and Tessa, and his four children Jade, James, Liam and Olivia.

First published in The Daily Maverick (August 2024) and co-written with Peta Wolpe