The site holds high historical significance in its association to the life and work of a person (John L Dube) and organisation (ANC) of importance in history, as well as its association to historical events (the first vote in the 1994 elections). The site is further significant in its association to the achievement of a particular period, being the first education institution for Africans by Africans and the coming of democracy.The modest, colonial-styled original house of John Langalibalele Dube (the first ANC president), bears testimony to his life, work and aspirations to encourage his people to enter the modern world through education. As the first school established and directed by Africans, the site further testifies to the pioneering of African education in South Africa. The Old School Hall, built by Dube, was the venue where the first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela, cast his first vote in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. With this historical association, the Old School Hall, together with John L Dube’s first home represents the full circle of the liberation struggle and the achievement of its aims – freedom and equality for all South Africans.
