Tata Madiba Booklet

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Tata Madiba 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013

Fat h e r o f o u r d e m o c r a c y: fat h e r o f o u r n at i o n


Tata Madiba 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013

Fat h e r o f o u r d e m o c r a c y: fat h e r o f o u r n at i o n


Tata Madiba

Tata M a d iFat b a h: eFat h e r o f o u r N at i o n , Fat h e r o f o u r D e m o c r a c y r o f o u r d e m o c r a c y: fat h e r o f o u r n at i o n “I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come.” These famous words by Tata Madiba reflect the spirit of the exhibition, where Iziko Museums of South Africa honours the legacy of our Former President, Nelson Mandela whose “mind year” we commemorate on 5 December. The exhibition draws on some of the permanent collections of Iziko – art, natural history, social history – and other work on loan to the museum, relating the story of a Leader, Negotiator, Statesman, Teacher, and Inspiration who reminds us that the road to social justice is an ongoing journey.

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“ t is not our diversity which divides us; it is not our ethnicity, or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have achieved our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and those who do not.” “

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As a humanitarian, Madiba always acknowledged the role of many other leaders, comrades and people who rose up against oppression and an inhumane system, and contributed towards a democratic South Africa. The struggle towards our democracy, narrated by so many, outlines the struggle endured to attain the Freedom that we enjoy today. Madiba’s nobility of spirit and that of many others that arose are hereby remembered. We pay tribute to a “Father” who played a central role in steering our country from the brink of civil war to the democratic dispensation we enjoy today. We live with hope that as we journey on, we draw on his spirit; building and strengthening our democracy and respect for humanity.

is nie ons diversiteit wat ons verdeel nie; dis nie ons etnisiteit, of godsdiens of kultuur wat ons verdeel nie. Sedert ons ons vryheid verwerf het, kan ons slegs op een manier verdeel word: diegene wat demokrasie koester teenoor diegene wat dit nie koester nie.”

This exhibition in memory of Madiba was made possible by the generosity of the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), donors, sponsors and support of other organisations. Our sincere thanks also go to the collaborative efforts made by the staff of Iziko Museums of South Africa. This was indeed UBUNTU in Action.

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Wayne Alexander, Project Manager, Director of Education and Public Programmes, Iziko Museums of South Africa Hayden Proud, Acting Director, Iziko Art Collections Department, Iziko Museums of South Africa November 2015

sikokungafani kwethu okusahlulayo; asibobuhlanga bethu, okanye inkolo okanye inkcubeko yethu enokubangela ukuba sahlukane. Kususela oko sathi safumana inkululeko yethu, kungako iyantlukwano inye kuphela phakathi kwethu: phakathi kwabo baluthakazelelayo ulawulo lwesininzi kunye nabo bangahambisaniyo nalo.”

Opposite: Rodger Bosch, Photograph of Nelson Mandela in the installation of the Tata Madiba exhibition. Iziko Social History Collections


M e ss a g e from th e C E O

M E S S AGE F R O M T H E I Z I KO e x e cut i v e D I R E C T O R O F C O R E F U N C T I O N S

As I write this message in memory of our former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela the anniversary of whose passing is commemorated through this exhibition – I am reminded of the struggle that has been narrated by him and many others in terms of our freedom and democracy.

This catalogue contains examples of works of art, social history and science all inspired by Madiba, whose legacy we remember through this exhibition. It in part retraces aspects of his life and legacy, weaving together art, history, his own words and other stories to reflect his humanitarian efforts. The exhibition is both a story and a depiction of lives experienced by so many others together with Madiba. Through Madiba, the exhibition traces the biography of South Africa as a country.

Our journey towards democracy has not been a simple one, but one marked with pain, tenacity, determination and hope. Nelson Mandela with the support of others took an unwavering stance to fight oppression and apartheid. The exhibition looks at symbols of repression, oppression, freedom, democracy and celebration which has much to do with the lived experiences of people in South Africa. These lived experiences are displayed through the various objects and collections drawn from our three collection departments at Iziko Museums of South Africa – Art Collections, Natural Collections and Social History Collections. It is the purpose of the museum to ensure that we shall have a record of our painful, not so painful pasts and celebrations through our Art, History and the Natural World. However, through our Museum Education programmes, the differing views about our history are enlivened and the impact it had on our lives evaluated. At Iziko Museums of South Africa we are exceptionally fortunate to draw on our resources at our disposal and evaluate our history. We are encouraged to ask, “What is Freedom”, “What does Democracy mean” – encouraging critical thinking as we continue our democratic journey as citizens of South Africa. Drawing on his wisdom, we are reminded that “The struggle against apartheid can be typified as the pitting of remembering against forgetting”. It is undoubtedly our role as museums, also a site of memory, to impress his belief of his words that “Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be a society of which all humanity will be proud”. My sincere thanks to our donors, sponsors, project team and all other staff members, who so willingly worked on this exhibition and catalogue in memory of President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Rooksana Omar Chief Executive Officer, Iziko Museums of South Africa November 2015

The exhibition, which opened on the 5 December 2014 in observance of the anniversary of his passing, showcases how he inspired the world of art, history and science – all contributing to the important nature of education. The educative role of the exhibition is underscored by his own declaration that “Education is the only way …”. Thus this catalogue and exhibition is itself an important learning and teaching tool. While this exhibition and catalogue may focus on Madiba – it is also a celebration and remembrance of others like him who contributed to the struggle for a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic South Africa. The exhibition and catalogue, albeit small, are a tribute to Madiba and all the activists who in so many and painful ways fought injustices for our freedom and democracy. In the cause of pursuing freedom for our country they displayed much humanity, integrity and a strong sense of values. The exhibition is also a reflection space for visitors as it challenges them to look at their contributions to humanity and how they can contribute to a construction of a just society. In his Long Walk To Freedom, Mandela argued that “it is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another”. Though limited in scope; through this exhibition and catalogue – different contributors manage to expose to us different aspects of Madiba’s life and the values that we may derive from it. Bongani Ndhlovu Executive Director, Core Functions, Iziko Museums of South Africa November 2015


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he truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.”

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ie waarheid is dat ons nog nie vry is nie; ons het slegs die vryheid verwerf om vry te wees, die reg om nie verdruk te word nie. Ons het nog nie die finale tree van ons reis gegee nie, slegs die eerste tree op ’n langer en selfs moeiliker pad. Om vry te wees beteken nie om slegs jou kettings af te werp nie, maar om op ’n sekere wyse te lewe wat die vryhede van ander respekteer en bevorder. Die ware toets van ons toewyding aan vryheid begin eers nou.”

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“ knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.”

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Above: Guy Tillim Nelson Mandela campaigning in the 1994 elections (1994) Colour photograph Iziko Sang Study Collection Opposite: Jackson Nkumanda The Presidential Inauguration (1994) Paint, wood and cardboard Iziko Art Collections, I-Sang 94/73

endisazi ngokunjalo bendisazi nokuba yintoni na leyo umcinezeli kufuneka eyikhululile njengokuqinisekileyo njengomcinezelwa. Umntu ongakhathalelanga inkululeko yomnye umntu ulibanjwa lwentiyo nenzondo, uvaleleke ngaphaya kwezithintelo zokonakalisa nokucinga kufutshane. AndiyiboneIi ntweni inkululeko yomnye umntu, nanjengokuba ndiqinisekile ukuba andikhulekanga xa inkululeko yam ithathiwe kum. Umcinezelwa kunye nomcinezeli ngokufanayo bahluthwe ubuntu babo.” ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom


M e ss a g e on th e S e cond Ann i v e rs a r y of th e d e ath of N e lson M a nd e l a Iz i ko mus e ums of S outh Afr i c a , 5 D e c e m b e r 2015

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“ t was precisely because he could admit to imperfection – because he could be so full of good humour, even mischief, despite the heavy burdens he carried – that we loved him so. He was not a bust made of marble; he was a man of flesh and blood – a son and husband, a father and a friend. That is why we learned so much from him; that is why we can learn from him still. For nothing he achieved was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness; persistence and faith. He tells us what’s possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well.” President Barack Obama Eulogy for Nelson Mandela December 10, 2013

It is great that you have organized this exhibition to mark the life of the great leader Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Everybody talks of the greatness of the man, but your exhibition also shows the ordinary person who was like other people. Revolutions are made by ordinary people who, when the time is right, do extraordinary things. I was struck by the stainless steel dish in which the meals given to prisoners were served. We had the identical dishes in Pretoria Prison. I am sure you know that Black, Coloured and Indian male political prisoners were kept on Robben Island. White males were kept in Pretoria; African, Coloured and Indian women in Kroonstad and White women in Barberton and Pretoria Central Prison. Prison was a site of struggle for dignity; for prisoners to be treated with respect, and when one reads Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom you will see that these skirmishes went on day after day for years and years, as they did in other prisons; until the guards realised their own lives would be easier if they behaved respectfully. In honouring Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela I want to stress that he was a great leader among other great leaders like Oliver Tambo, Moses Kotane, Yusuf Dadoo, Reginald September, Dora Tamane to mention just a few, whom I personally knew. I want you to remember that over 130 prisoners were judicially executed. At least a thousand were extrajudicially murdered and thousands were murdered during the four years of negotiation after Mandela was released in 1990. I want you to think of the thousands of exiled MK men and women who spent years in camps across Africa in terrible conditions but always posing a strategic military threat to the apartheid state. And then remember the way in which the mass of our people responded to the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF). There were as many as two million activists affiliated to the UDF. The point of this is that we need great leaders who can mobilize our people to make the new South Africa we fought for and so many died for. It is not the work of just one great saviour. That concept demobilises us. We have a democracy and we must use our rights collectively to advance to a mature society where the aspirations written into our Bill of Rights can be realised. Prof. Dr. (h.c.) Denis Goldberg, OLS November 2015

Jane Makhubele (born 1965) Shirt used by Madiba to celebrate his 86th birthday, 19th July 2004 in Eastern Cape (2004) Textile, glass beads, thread Iziko Art Collections, I-Sang 2008/20


Nobel Peace Prize In 1993 Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk became joint recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of “their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa". Following in the footsteps of Chief Albert Luthuli and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mandela and De Klerk’s receipt of the

Nobel Peace Prize brought to four the number of South African Nobel Peace laureates. These two somewhat contradictory images by Rodger Bosch of Mandela and De Klerk seated together at the National Peace Convention in September 1991 testify to the difficult and sometimes bitterly confrontational negotiations that cleared the path to South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. Incidents of political violence threatened to bring an end to the negotiations from time to time. However, under

the leadership of Mandela and De Klerk the negotiations stayed on track, paving the way for reconciliation and an end to apartheid. Nelson Mandela, after emerging from 27 years of incarceration, not only preached a message of reconciliation and peace, but powerfully demonstrated forgiveness and reconciliation in his own life. Paul Tichmann, Acting Director, Iziko Social History Collections, November 2015

Rodger Bosch (born 1966), National Peace Convention, Johannesburg (1991) Taken 14/9/1991, printed 2013, edition 7/15, silver gelatin, selenium toned hand-prints, printed by the artist. Then ANC President Nelson Mandela with the then State President F. W. de Klerk on 14 September 1991 during the Convention at the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. Iziko Social History Collections, SH 2013/159a_b


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T h e M a d i b a O b j e cts The objects that form part of the Madiba exhibition play an important role in giving us insight into aspects of Nelson Mandela’s life and struggles. The badges on display, for example, remind us of his long imprisonment (eg: Nelson Mandela 27 Years Not Out); of the campaign for his release (eg: Free Nelson Mandela) and of the historic day on 11 February 1990 that saw him walk out of Victor Verster Prison (eg: Free at Last). Through these objects we are also perceive how Madiba was viewed abroad and of the support given to South Africa through the international AntiApartheid Movement. While these badges help to complement the narrative of the exhibition by providing a visual aspect to it, they also provoke memory and evoke emotion. In this way objects have the ability to present multi-faceted narratives. We are often able to make personal connections to museum objects because we bring our own experiences to them. Nelson Mandela’s life journey touched our lives but that of the entire world. As we view these objects associated with him we cannot help but consider how his life has touched our own and how we can contribute to the powerful legacy he has bestowed for the future.

1–2. ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ Badges In 1980 Oliver Tambo introduced the ‘Free Mandela’ Campaign and soon Nelson Mandela became the international symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle.

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3. Badge: ‘Nelson Mandela 27 Years Not Out’ Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. He was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 years and was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison, in Cape Town, in 1982. In 1988 he was transferred to Victor Verster Prison, near Paarl, in the Western Cape. 4. African National Congress (ANC) Election Badge: ‘Mandela for President, The People’s Choice’ Nelson Mandela was unanimously elected as president of the ANC at the party’s national conference in Durban on 5 July 1991, succeeding the ailing Oliver Tambo. After the ANC’s victory in the first democratic elections of 1994 Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected President. He was inaugurated as President on 10 May 1991.

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5. Badge: ‘Michigan Labor Welcomes Mandela Freedom Tour 1990’ A badge produced in the US for Nelson Mandela’s trip to Detroit on 28 June 1990. While on a 12 day visit to the US in 1990, Mandela visited the Ford Motor Company’ River Rouge plant in Dearborn, Detroit, to thank members of the United Auto Workers Local 600 for their militant opposition to apartheid. 6. Badge: ‘Welcome Home Nelson Mandela, Forward to Freedom’ (1990) 7. Badge: ‘Free at Last, Nelson Mandela’ (1990) Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison on 11 February 1990. He addressed a rally in Cape Town soon after his release. He concluded his address by quoting from his words during the Rivonia Treason Trial of 1964, stating: “They are true today as they were then” “I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination….” 8. Badges: ‘Now is the Time!! Mandela!!’ Nelson Mandela argued that “Sport has the power to change the world.” He put his weight behind Cape Town’s bid for the 2004 Olympic Games, stating : “Now is the time for Africa to complete the five Olympic rings.” He participated as a torchbearer during the 2004 Olympic torch relay, which visited Robben Island. 9. Cloth Badge: Nelson Mandela 1990’s 1–9: Iziko Social History Collections

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Prisoner’s Plate, from Robben Island Prison, in wood and wire presentation packaging An inscription on the back of the plate includes the following: “Through this plate, we remember that once, on Robben Island, people were classified and divided by issues as basic as the food they were given. And how, by refusing their plates, by standing together in equality – they brought about a new order of democracy, tolerance and human rights”. Presented by Professor B. Warner, 1997. Iziko Social History Collections, SAM-AE 14776

Bronze Commemorative Medal produced in France: Nelson Mandela and the Rivonia Trial. Designer J Coppin. Engraver’s initial BR. The reverse of the medal has an inscription in French which is an extract from Nelson Mandela’s famous address during the Rivonia Treason Trial, 20 April 1964. Translated: I have adopted the ideal of a democratic and free society in which everyone in the world will live together in peace and equality – I hope to live to see this achieved but it is also an ideal for which I am prepared to die for. Rivonia, October 1963 to May 1964. Iziko Social History Collections


Bodice (Foreground) Designed by Cheryl Arthur and made of ANC commemorative cloth with an image of Nelson Mandela, for the SA Audi Fashion Show in 1998. Purchased in Cape Town, 1998. SAM-AE 14872 T-Shirt Printed to commemorate Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, 11 February 1990. Purchased in Cape Town, 1990. Iziko Social History Collections, SAM-AE 13752

Girl’s Dress (Middle) Designed by Mnandi Textiles & Design, and made of fashionable isishweshwe cloth. Purchased in Cape Town, 2014. Iziko Social History Collections


N e lson M a nd e l a i mmorta l i s e d i n b i od i v e rs i t y

Trichogramma mandelai Bruchophagus mandelai Mandelia mirocornata Mandelacrinus nelsoni Acritus mandelai Singafrotypa mandela Stasimopus mandelai Vulcanobatrachus mandelai Sabiella mandelania Anelosimus nelsoni Microporella madiba Hydraena nelsonmandelai Triacanthella madiba Australopicus nelsonmandelai Bana madiba Belesica madiba Munidopsis mandelai Carebara madibai

In a recent study of world biodiversity, it was estimated that there was a total of about 10.95 million species of animals, plants, fungi and protists (that means everything except bacteria and Archaea), of which only about 1.43 million species (13%) have been given names. Recent new genetic methods of analyzing environmental samples (metagenomics) are revealing that bacteria and Archaea (prokaryotes) are also highly diverse and that we have hardly scraped the surface of their diversity. Understanding the life around us is very important as it impacts on human life in numerous ways: we need organisms for food, some species are pests of crops and livestock, others are beneficial in killing pests, some species cause disease, and many species are of ecological and environmental importance. The backbone to our understanding of life on earth is the system we use for naming all these different organisms. Linnaeus in the 18th century came up with the binomial system of nomenclature in which the name we give to a species is made up of two Latin-based words, the first, called the genus epithet, referring to the genus to which the species belongs and the second, called the species epithet, being a unique name within that genus. So the scientific name for humans is Homo sapiens (Homo being the genus epithet and sapiens being the species epithet) and for the Housefly is Musca domestica.

Nelson Mandela was named one of the 100 icons of the 20th century because of his fight against the unjust apartheid system. He became a universal symbol representing unity, peace, justice, human rights and equal rights. This symbolism has been immortalised in the natural world. Natural scientists face an ongoing challenge in finding appropriate names for new organisms that they have to describe, and they often name them in honour of some of the most famous people in world history. Because of his globally renowned status (he was referred to by Time Magazine in the year 2000 as an ‘icon of our planet’), South Africa’s beloved President Nelson Mandela is exemplary in this regard. To date, at least 17 new species have been named after him. These include ants, flies, spiders, beetles, wasps, lobsters and now-extinct birds and frogs. Some of these are illustrated and described on the pages which follow. As far as can be established, no plant species have yet been named after Nelson Mandela. However, a cross-generic hybrid orchid, called Paravanda ‘Nelson Mandela’, was dedicated to him on the occasion of his visit to the National Orchid Garden in Singapore on 5 March 1997. In addition, a yellow-flowering variety of Strelitzia reginae has been called Strelitzia reginae ‘Mandela’s Gold’ by the National Botanical Gardens (now the SA National Biodiversity Institute) at Kirstenbosch. Hamish G. Robertson Director, Iziko Natural History Collections November 2015

Vulcanobatrachus mandelai. A species of extinct frog, described in 2005 by Linda Trueb of the University of Kansas, Callum Ross of the University of Chicago and Roger Smith of Iziko Museums of South Africa. The fossils from which this species was described came from a volcanic crater lake deposit on Stompoor Farm in the Northern Cape, and are dated to about 80 million years ago, when dinosaurs dominated earth. Examples of these fossils are on display in the African Dinosaurs exhibition at the Iziko South African Museum. Dedication: “The specific epithet honors Nelson Mandela, the first popularly elected leader of the Republic of South Africa”.


Bana madiba. A species of robberfly (family Asilidae) described in 2013 by Jason Londt, retired Director of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, from specimens collected at Fort Brown in the Eastern Cape, and Beaufort West in the Western Cape. Dedication: “Named in honour of Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as ‘Madiba’, in recognition of the pivotal role he played in establishing South Africa as a leading African democracy”.

Singafrotypa mandela. A species of orb web spider (family Araneidae), collected near Cape Town and described in 2002 by Matjaž Kuntner of George Washington University and Gustavo Hormiga of the Smithsonian Institution, USA. Dedication: “The species is named after Nelson Mandela in honor of his struggle against Apartheid”.

Belesica madiba. A species of ichneumonid wasp named in 2014 by Pascal Rousse and Simon van Noort, Entomologists at Iziko Museums of South Africa. Dedication: “We respectfully dedicate this rare gem to ‘Madiba’ Nelson Mandela, for the enlightenment he brought to South Africa and the remainder of the World. Enkosi uhambe kakuhle Tata Madiba.” Photographed by Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums).

Australopicus nelsonmandelai. A species of extinct woodpecker, described in 2012 by Albrecht Manegold of the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Frankfurt, Germany, and Antoine Louchart, at that time working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Iziko South African Museum and later working at Université de Lyon, France. The fossil material on which the description of this species is based comes from the Langebaanweg fossil site, which now falls in the West Coast Fossil Park. This woodpecker is the only known African representative of a group now found only in the Northern Hemisphere. Dedication: “The species is dedicated to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on the occasion of his 94th birthday on 18 July 2012”.

Carebara madibai. A species of African leaf-litter inhabiting ant named by Georg Fischer and Frank Azorsa of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA: “Named in memory Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918–5 December 2013), who was nicknamed Madiba by his people, former South African president and anti-apartheid revolutionary, often also described as “father of the nation”. Photographed by Georg Fischer and Frank Azorsa (California Academy of Sciences).

Hydraena nelsonmandelai. A species of beetle in the family Hydraenidae, described in 2008 by Dewanand Makhan, from a specimen collected in Suriname, South America. Dedication: “This species is named after the great leader Nelson Mandela of South Africa”. Photographed by Dr Dewanand Makhan.

Triacanthella madiba. A species of springtail (Collembola), described in 2012 by Charlene Janion of Stellenbosch University, and Cyrille D’Haese and Louis Deharveng. The specimens were collected from bat guano in a cave on Table Mountain. Photographed by Louis Deharveng (Département Systématique et Évolution, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle).

Munidopsis mandelai. A species of squat lobster collected off the South African coast over the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge; described in 2014 by Enrique Macpherson (Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Spain), Diva Amon and Paul F. Clark (both at The Natural History Museum, London).


ŠCopyright Iziko Museums of South Africa 2015.


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