A new museum celebrating the anti-apartheid movement is set to open by the end of next year.

The derelict Georgian townhouse at 28 Penton Street, near Angel, was formerly the London headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC).

It was bombed in 1982 by members of the South African apartheid regime’s security services.

Work on creating the Anti-Apartheid Legacy Centre of Memory and Learning is set to begin today (October 16).

The £3.5 million project will create Europe’s first cultural centre dedicated to the anti-apartheid movement.

The museum will be built at the former London headquarters of the ANCThe museum will be built at the former London headquarters of the ANC (Image: Anti-Apartheid Legacy Centre of Memory and Learning)

Its stated mission is to highlight underrepresented, Black-led history, promote anti-racism, and address imbalances in UK heritage.

The centre will feature a permanent exhibition on the anti-apartheid movement, display archival material, and offer a temporary gallery for contemporary issues like migration and inequality.

Liliesleaf Trust UK, the charity behind the project, confirmed that it hoped to open the museum’s doors by the end of 2025, which will mark 31 years since South Africa’s first democratic election.

Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, London's Deputy Mayor for communities and social justice, said: “For 16 years, this site in Islington played a key role in the international opposition to apartheid and it’s important that we honour all of the work that was done to help change the lives of so many people.

“We must continue to learn from the terrible errors of the past if we are to tackle the racism and inequality that still exists in our society, as we build a fairer London for everyone.”