Great Zimbabwe rehabilitation begins

across most parts of the monuments threatening to distort its splendour.

National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe Masvingo regional director Mr Lovemore Mandima said work was now due to start at the monument.

He said internationally-acclaimed experts in the various areas of rehabilitation had already been to the monuments for preparatory works.

‘’In terms of control of Lantana Camara, experts have been identified and it is expected that in August, work on controlling the plant shall commence,’’ he said.

‘’Specialists in the conservation of dry stone walls visited the Great Zimbabwe in April and produced detailed recommendations which we are now working on project implementation.’’

Mr Mandima said a modern wall monitoring system will soon be installed at the world heritage site.

‘’A structural monitoring expert visited the monuments in May and produced a detailed report which we now want to consider in project implementation and quite soon Great Zimbabwe will be having a new wall-monitoring system in place,’’ said Mr Mandima.

Great Zimbabwe is one of Zimbabwe’s main tourist attraction sites with thousands of visitors -both domestic and international- flocking to the monument which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO.

The monuments are famous for their imposing structures built by balancing rocks without mortar around the 12 century by Shona people at the peak of the Munhumutapa Empire.

Great Zimbabwe occupies a special place in the country’s history as it reflects the sophistry of indigenous people who used to inhabit the area.