Kazembe focuses on graveyards, as National Heroes Acre nears full

Zimbabwe's national shrine (National Heroes Acre) is facing acute burial slots insufficiency and the government is rolling out extension programme to ensure more space is availed for heroes and heroines burial upon declaration, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe has said.

Speaking during the inauguration of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe's board of trustees, Kazembe has announced that his Ministry also expects urgent attention on the maintenance of shrines.

"My Ministry also expects urgent attention on the maintenance of our shrines both within and outside our borders in tandem with our client's expectations. It is therefore the board's responsibility to ensure that both the shrines and narratives are preserved for posterity," Kazembe said.

"I also want to add that the issue of the human remains of the heroes of the first Chimurenga being kept in the Natural History Museum in Britain is brought to its logical conclusion to give closure to the families and the nation at large. I am happy that this issue is also part of your strategic management plan," Kazembe added.

"We need to expedite the National Heroes Acre extension because we are fast running out of slots at the National Shrine. I also expect the Board to work on Altena Farm Monument which is one of the significant liberation sites of the early stages of the Second Chimurenga," Kazembe disclosed.

Minister Kazembe also claimed he is reliably informed that they recently concluded the formulation of the draft Policy on the Management of Post Conflict Mass Graves and Human Remains.

He also added that over and above the policy, he expects the Board to present the principles of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe Act Review early in 2025.

"The ammended Act will be instrumental in the transformation of heritage management to fully accommodate the entity's evolving and expanded mandate, which, over the years, has excessively outgrown its legal space. I also want to emphasize the critical role of community engagement in our work," Kazembe said.

Kazembe also acknowledge that the journey ahead will not be without challenges ranging from urban development pressures to funding constraints, but the obstacles require resilience and innovative thinking.

"As we embark on this journey, I call upon each one of you as trustees of our heritage to look at the critical task of resource mobilisation since government funding may not always be adequate to support the institution's expanded mandate. It is my understanding that your strategic management plan provided guidelines on this matter," Kazembe pleaded.

Meanwhile, Kazembe acknowledged the Interim Board Chair of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (Professor Munyaradzi Manyanga).

The newly unveiled Board members here present include Ms Tandiwe Nkomo-Ibrahim, Mr Dictor Khumalo, Ms Virginia Madiro, Comrade Sam Parerenyatwa and Mr Mike Masaka who represents the Ministry in the Board.

The Ministry has identified more cleared board members which it anticipates to join in January 2025, to ensure full complement of the Board's committees.

National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe form an important pillar as it provides the basis of the cultural heritage component of the Ministry.

The primary mission of the Board is to be a vigilant guardian of cultural legacy. The board shall also close the gaps in the entity's compliance matters on governance, policy formulation and policy implementation.