The Sunday News
Vincent Gono Magazine Editor
WHILE it is quite true that we do not live in the past, it is also true that to forget history is to leave oneself and posterity unprotected as history always has a way of shaping our future as a people and a country. Guided by that axiom the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) is courting the private sector as it struggles to raise the $50 000 required for the reconstruction of Old Bulawayo, itself an important historical and cultural site, after it was razed by a wild fire almost five years ago.
NMMZ is also sprucing up other sites of historical importance in the country such as Great Zimbabwe and Khami ruins as well as putting efforts to ensure that community museums and other places of historical and cultural significance are resuscitated.
In an interview with Sunday Leisure, National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe director Dr Godfrey Mahachi said NMMZ was working flat out to ensure that the country’s historical sites, most of which lie derelict, were restored to their past glory.
He said the world tourism showcase was one such platform that the country successfully used to market its places of historical and cultural importance as well as create synergies with other countries with such sites.
“We are preparing our sites so that they retain their cultural and historical significance. We are working on sprucing up Great Zimbabwe and Khami ruins. We are also seriously considering reconstructing Old Bulawayo after it was burnt and reduced to ashes by a fire in 2010.
“Lack of financial resources have however been impacting negatively on the work. We require plus or minus $50 000 to complete the work on Old Bulawayo. It was our wish that the work be completed before the commencement of the historic tourism event — the UNWTO but our capacity was strained by inadequate resources. This however did not mean we have to sit back and relax. We expect work to start as soon as we get the required amount. We have already assembled a team to work on the different components of the construction work,” he said. He said they needed to construct King Lobengula’s Palace, the wagon shed, the palisade and the eight bee-hive structures with special wattle from Manicaland while the grass to thatch the structures would be from Matopo.
Dr Mahachi said funds permitting they were also looking forward to constructing an exhibition centre. He said they had engaged the private sector and other sympathisers for financial assistance adding that the work plan was ready.
Old Bulawayo was King Lobengula’s capital that was built in 1870 and is 17 kilometres from present day Bulawayo. It was destroyed by a veld fire in August 2010 and little was done to reconstruct it since then due to lack of financial resources.
A representative of the Khumalo family who is a descendant of King Lobengula Prince Zwide Khumalo said the family had not been briefed of the goings on in the reconstruction of Old Bulawayo.
He said he believed that the reconstruction could only be successful if the museums worked in conjunction with the family not only for spiritual support but for provision of other materials as well as courting the private sector.
“We have not yet been briefed and I do not think there is anything that is moving. We have however been working well with Dr Mahachi and we believe he is as serious as we are in seeing the urgent reconstruction of Old Bulawayo as a place of historical significance and a tourist attraction as well.
“It is our belief that the involvement and active participation of the local community is very important not only for spiritual purposes but even for the provision of the material resources that are required. The locals value the place and want it to be put back into shape as soon as yesterday. Such material as required for the reconstruction of the palisade can be brought from the Khumalos in areas as Lupane and while the thatch can be provided by the locals in Matopo at a low cost,” said Khumalo.
He added that lack of co-ordination was making it difficult to move the work forward and urged unity of purpose and the spirit of inclusivity to prevail before the project was forgotten. Dr Mahachi however said they were working together with the locals and reiterated the need for the Khumalo family and the local community to assist as much as possible.
“We have been working together with the Khumalos. They are the key stakeholders but lack of communication was caused by the fact that we had nothing in terms of resources so we see no need to consult them. We thought we would first get the resources then engage them so that once the work starts there will be no looking back.
“As you can see the year is just starting and we are hoping we are going to be allocated resources and space permitting we hope to put something in place for our important historical and cultural centre. We have not forgotten the project,” he said.
He also said the department had identified some other very important heritage sites but the challenge was lack of information to develop and exhibit them.
As a result, he added, such centres were not open to the public until such a time when there would be enough detail to allow for exhibitions to take place.
“We have identified some very important sites of historical significance but there is no information on them. We are looking for researchers with information on the sites. Even those interested researchers from outside the country are welcome. Pupu shrine in Lupane is one such site,” he said.
