War vets to establish museum

WAR veterans are set to establish a museum to preserve the liberation war history and to impart fundamental ethos among fellow Zimbabweans, the Deputy Minister of Defence and War Veterans, Victor Matemadanda, has said.

The Deputy Minister said that the museum will preserve and safeguard the legacy of the liberation war Matemadanda said that the museum will capture both the first Chimurenga and the second Chimurenga.

"Zimbabwe's independence came about through suffering and supreme sacrifice by patriotic sons and daughters who waged a long and arduous struggle against the colonial regime. Right now we have the National Heroes' Acre and these sacred shrines were built to honour the heroes of Zimbabwe, past, present and future," he said.

"This museum will be designed to be a national historical monument where the liberation war material is kept. The history of this country is very rich and needs to be preserved and we saw no better way to do this than to establish a museum. This will enable us to leave behind a documented legacy for generations to come when we are no longer there to tell our stories. The history we want to preserve is for this country."  

Matemadanda said they are borrowing the concept from the Angola Museum.

"The concept is drawn from the Angola Museum. Angola's storied history of instability and reform serves as a reminder of the progress made. A visit to the Angola Museum offers a glimpse into the volatility of the past and potential for the future," he said.

"The difference is that the Angolan one is situated in a battlefield but ours is going to be built at a place to be decided upon. We have already identified a few sites but we will have to discuss that."