Mr Kenny Vusi Xaba, or fondly known as Baba Kenny or Shwabada arrived at the KZN Museum in 1999. He has been part of the many changes that have been made throughout the exhibition spaces. He has made a very direct mark on the Museum, as he has been responsible for most of the paint work in all the display spaces. He is a master of his craft, his ability to square off an area and paint with precision is a lost art and will leave big shoes to fill.

In a personal capacity, we are going to miss Kenny dearly, his upbeat personality, mischievous sense of humour, humility and impressive dance moves will leave an empty space in our department. We wish Kenny all the best in this new chapter in his life. I hope he is able to rest, stay healthy and spend lots of time with his grandchildren (and bring them in for visits at the Museum to show them all he has done).

There is a misconception that museums are static spaces, this couldn’t be more wrong, our institution is constantly changing and evolving. It is an odd space where we try to preserve the past and still make way for the future, change means new life and we wish Kenny well on this new change of life.