The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana in Dete
THE Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Cde Cain Mathema has bemoaned the state of some of the country’s monuments, saying abandoning the ancient relics was tantamount to disregarding the country’s heritage. Speaking on the sidelines of a tour of Shangano and Bumbusi ruins in Hwange last week, Cde Mathema said there was a need to rehabilitate cultural ruins so as to preserve them as they depicted history and identity.
“This is totally unacceptable that important cultural heritage sites such as these should lie in such a sorry state when we have the duty of safeguarding and preserving our culture. It is our job to make sure that we preserve these heritage sites. All ruins need to be respected and as such I will invite the Department of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe to assist in the preservation of such sites through reconstruction of some of the places which need attention,” said Cde Mathema.
He said cultural sites such as the Shangano and Bumbusi ruins where the Nambya king Whange came to settle in around the 18th century after leaving Great Zimbabwe, as well as Pupu in Lupane where the last battle against colonial forces by the Ndebeles had been abandoned and were lying in a sorry state.
Cde Mathema, himself a historian, also chronicled the journey of the Nambya people after the fall of Great Zimbabwe before declaring the significance of the ruins to the country’s history.
The founding chief of the Nambya kingdom Chief Whange whose totem was Chilobamago because he was known for having established his dominance in a hornest infested area, is buried at Shangano ruins in Chilanga village.
The tour which was organised by Gwango Elephant Lodge located in Dete close to the Hwange National Park is part of the hospitality entity’s efforts to document the journey of the Nambya and history of their cultural heritage centre project.
“The purpose of this tour was to help us document the journey of the Nambya people which will be displayed at Gwango Heritage Centre to teach not only tourists but people visiting the centre on the significance of certain sites. We become aware that tourists outside of viewing game are also interested in the culture of the indigenous people especially after noting that the history of the Nambya was also tied to the national park. The elders are dying and without documenting such rich history the younger generation will not know where they came from,” said Ms Elisabeth Pasalk, co-founder of the heritage centre.
