Zim offers Nam land in ambitious museum project

To honour Namibia’s emancipation from the South African apartheid government, Zimbabwe has given Namibia one acre of land in its Pan-African Memorial Park and Museum of African Liberation Project in Liberation City, Harare, for the construction of an outdoor monument.

Ambassador Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, a special representative of Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa, delivered this message to President Hage Geingob yesterday at State House.

Zimbabwe earlier this year commenced with the construction of the Museum of African Liberation, a monument that is dedicated to all fallen veterans of the continent’s liberation wars, and is meant to document wars fought in Africa in its quest for self-governance.

“I am pleased to say, Your Excellency, that the government of Zimbabwe is offering 4 400 square metres of space for Namibia to erect a monument commemorating Namibia’s independence from South Africa’s apartheid government. The memorial park will have a number of monuments,” Mumbengegwi told Geingob.

“We will have a world-class shopping mall within the complex, 20 hectares of an animal park, 20 hectares of an amusement park, and a heritage village in the memorial park,” he said.

He added that in the PanAfrican Memorial Park, they are also collaborating with the Mohamed Ali Foundation, and have already donated one hectare of land to those in the diaspora to commemorate the link between the continent and those who have left it. On his part, Geingob hailed the project, saying it was good that Africans are telling their own stories.

“Sounds good. People want us to forget about our history. They are working hard trying to talk that we are backwards, and we are not moving forward. But let us not be discouraged; let’s go ahead and tell our glorious history,” Geingob noted. He added that he would inform the party, and later Cabinet.

“I welcome it. It is a very good idea - a greeting to my brother let’s record our history. That’s what the story is all about. We must be proud to tell our history,” Geingob stressed.

The museum, which will span over 100 hectares of land, will cost over US$20 million, and is being funded by different African countries.

The museum construction project has started, and according to media reports in that country, it is going to be a two-year project. It will be funded by different African countries, and is likewise enjoying support from the African Union (AU).

The whole idea is to tell the story of how African countries got to where they are today as liberated nations. There are various amenities set to support the museum, like a five-star hotel, amusement park, Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ (ZDF) exhibition park, zoo and a shopping mall.