VP Chiwenga praises work on Mbuya Nehanda statue site
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday toured the site of the Mbuya Nehanda statue and was satisfied with the work done so far which is 80 percent complete.
He was accompanied by Local Government and Public Works Acting Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere and Deputy Minister Marian Chombo.
The tour was to allow the Vice President to assess progress made to date.
During the tour, the contractor said progress now stands at 80 percent with 20 percent still remaining on site with all concrete works, that is staircases, ramps and foundations, and fabrication of the steel bridge now complete.
VP Chiwenga thanked all involved for their commitment and dedication.
Government is erecting a memorial statue for Zimbabwe’s First Chimurenga war heroine — Mbuya Nehanda — in Harare to honour her for her heroic rebellion against colonialism, resulting in her paying the ultimate price by being hanged in 1898.
The memorial statue is being erected at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way. Construction started on June 25 last year. The Mbuya Nehanda statue project is about remembering and paying tribute as a nation, as a people, to an ancestor whose contribution to history deserves recognition.
President Mnangagwa recently said Mbuya Nehanda’s statue must be redone to capture the image that all recognise, backed by contemporary photographs.
This followed the President’s visit to Nyati Gallery near Snake Park late last year, where he was presented with a youthful version of Mbuya Nehanda by sculptor David Mutasa, who has been tasked with making a statue of the iconic spirit medium.
However, the youthful portrayal of the heroine in was contrary to the older image that Zimbabweans had become accustomed to through archival memory, leading to public outrage.