“Where Can I Donate?”: Discovery of Apartheid-Era Artefacts Sparks Curiosity

• A Facebook user discovered apartheid-era segregation signs and shares pictures of them on a group
• The signs aimed to eliminate contact between White and Black people in several public spaces
• Members of the online community suggested various future uses for the historical artefacts

A Facebook user, Frankie Smalls, shared with the public that she had discovered signs used during the apartheid era, which showed how certain areas were for certain races. Social media users came up with many suggestions as to what could be done with the artefacts.

Frankie headed to the Facebook group, Cape Historical Society, on 11 February 2026, to give people a glimpse of the two signs that read 'Whites Only. Net Blankes' and 'Net Nie-Blankes. Non-Whites Only.'

According to the information hub ThoughtCo, the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act of 1953 forced segregation in all public spaces, including amenities, transport, and buildings. The aim was to eliminate contact between White people and people of other races. Hence, the signs were made.

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Frankie captioned the post:

"Found this in a very old shed. Where can I donate?"

Take a look at the Facebook picture posted to the group below:

Ideas for the segregation-driven signs take flight

Several social media users answered Frankie's question with their opinion on where the sign's new home should be.

Chris Brehem told Frankie:

"I used to make skateboard decks out of those in the '80s. Would dig one of those to make another one."

Michelle Matthews wrote under the post:

"Please, please gift it to the District Six Museum."

Deon Goezaar exclaimed in the comment section:

"Destroy it! Horrible!. That needs to be wiped out of the history books!"

Cw Ameterra told the online community:

"History cannot be destroyed."

3 Other apartheid-related stories

• In another article, Briefly News reported that the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to consider rejecting the credentials of the American ambassador.
• A man shared his opinion of how the Democratic Alliance managed to achieve the apartheid spatial planner's dream.
• Last year, South Africans mourned Ismail Ayob, an anti-apartheid activist and human rights lawyer who played a key role in Nelson Mandela's legal defence.

Source: Briefly News