By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
LOWVELD — She sits on the hill all day, crutches by her side, waiting. Waiting for visitors who may or may not come. Waiting to tell the story of a man who changed the Lowveld forever.
Nancy Mtombeni is the attendant at the Thomas Murray McDougall Museum in Triangle. At 60-something, she walks with crutches — but her voice carries the weight of history.
When visitors arrive, she takes a moment to warn them of the dangers that surround this historic homestead, nestled in the heart of the sugar plantations.
“I have not seen black mambas no less than three metres long here,” she pauses, letting the words sink in.
That alone sent shivers down the spines of a group of journalists touring the museum for the first time as part of the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo, courtesy of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
The museum is also home to venomous snakes, large spiders, and a colony of killer bees. For Mtombeni, these creatures are part of her daily reality.
“I have not seen black mambas no less than three metres long here,” she says — a statement that sends shivers down the spines of visitors. For her, it is just another day at work.
The Man Behind the Sugar
After the safety warnings, Mtombeni invites visitors into the story of Thomas Murray McDougall, the Scottish-born pioneer of the Lowveld sugar industry.
“If you don’t get to this museum, you would have missed a lot. Our Lowveld is there because of this museum, the homestead of the founder of Triangle,” she says.
McDougall was a school dropout at the age of 10, but he would go on to become the pioneer of the first sugarcane plantation in the Lowveld.
He arrived in 1906, left during the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and returned to build an industry that would shape the region for generations.
“He’s the first person to make brown sugar for us, and then now we can refine it to white sugar. Mr McDougall is the big man,” she says with a smile.
Her narration is rich with detail, making the history accessible to all who visit. She speaks with pride, as if McDougall were a member of her own family.
“Mr McDougall came all the way from Scotland to this land, and he is the pioneer of the sugar plantations that we are visiting today.”
Her Own Untold Story
But while Mtombeni knows the history of the homestead intimately, her own story remains largely untold.
She sits outside the museum each day, crutches by her side, because the museum is not accessible for people with disabilities.
There are no ramps, no accessible pathways. Visitors needing to enter the homestead must use a steep incline to access the museum, which for Mtombeni means she must remain outdoors.
She has no office, no shelter from the sun or the rain. She spends her days outside the museum — alone — waiting to welcome visitors.
Her commitment to her work is unwavering, but the environment is not designed for her.
“Depending on the day, she is likely to cross paths with different creatures like snakes and big spiders, both venomous,” the journalists were told. Yet she remains at her post, day after day, year after year.
A Worrying Gap
As she approaches retirement in five years, Mtombeni has another concern.
“My problem is I have five more years before I retire, and yet there is no one who is understudying me for continuity purposes,” she says.
It is a troubling reality. No one is being groomed to take over from her. No one is learning the stories, the history, the knowledge she has accumulated over the years.
“It would be an injustice if she leaves with all the knowledge of the museum she has acquired over the years,” one journalist remarked.
The sentiment is shared by many who have visited the museum and witnessed her passion and dedication.
A Call to Action
The Department of Museums and Monuments, in partnership with Triangle Country Club, has an opportunity to preserve the legacy of the Thomas Murray McDougall Museum.
A ramp would make the museum accessible — not only for Mtombeni but for other visitors with disabilities. An office would give her dignity and protection from the elements. And a succession plan would ensure that the story of Thomas Murray McDougall and his contribution to the Lowveld sugar industry is not lost.
Because, as Mtombeni’s life demonstrates, the most important stories are often told by the most unlikely people. And those stories must be passed on before they disappear.
“Either way, the history of Thomas Murray McDougall has to be told to generations to come,” she said.
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