The Kaunda exhibition must not be pulled down

Dr. Kaunda

Dear Editor,

I AM happy that Lusaka Museum has opened an exhibition on the life of President Kenneth David Kaunda.

However, it is sad that after 1991 all the good plans by the United National Independence Party were immediately done away with to establish a museum in Lusaka.

What is now called the Lusaka Museum was initially planned by Kaunda's government to be a political museum.

The old political museum was then housed in Kulima Tower building, where Mr Alfred Mofya was the Director.

The UNIP government then sent Mr Mofya and graphic artist, William Katongo on a study tour of China to see how political museums were organised and managed.

The UNIP headquarters, now called the government complex was to house Zambia's first political museum.

In 1991 when the Movement for Multi-party Democracy took over government, they decided to turn it into a dancing hall, kitchen party and museum.

And this is not a joke, up to this day, some of the glasses in front of the Lusaka

National Museum still have cracked window panes by unruly Lusaka music fans. The rest is history.

What am I trying to say? I would like urge the government to quickly go back to the drawing board and revert that building into a political museum.

Secondly, Lusaka needs a new museum and national art gallery. There are several countries out there willing to help Zambia establish a national gallery and museum in Lusaka.

As if that was not enough, the museum board retired all the graphic artists. And hence the poor display of artifacts in museums in Zambia.

The Kaunda exhibition belongs to Zambians and must not be pulled down.

It is unfortunate Mr Alfred Mofya passed on but Mr William Katongo is still alive, and can help to reorganise this place to re-establish a political museum.

The Kaunda exhibition must not be pulled down.

Zambia has lost too many freedom fighters whose history is long forgotten.

One Zambia, One Nation, One Political Museum.

ROY KAUSA, Lusaka.