Letters to the Editor Let’s maintain historical sites
EDITOR — Last month I visited my ancestral home which is at Sibona area, in eNqameni, Gwanda.
On my return to Bulawayo I decided to drive along Old Gwanda Road which meanders on top of the lovely Great Matobo Hills. I stopped at the Gulabakhwa Caves which is one of the many attractions along this road on these hills and I was left disappointed.
As you drive along you can hardly notice this place. Its like it doesn’t exist. The signs that were erected long ago to show their situation have long fallen and defaced. The inscriptions on these fallen signs have been rendered invisible.
Where is the department that is responsible with such historical places? Is it still in existence or it has been disbanded? Or someone somewhere is sleeping on his job and drawing his monthly perks for doing nothing?
As I continued driving towards Bulawayo I came to a point that gives directions to where the grave of His Royal Highness, the King, iSilo sikaMthwakazi, uMzilikazi kaMatshobana is located. The direction sign at this place is just a small and invisible rusty board. You only see this sign when you know about it but to strangers, they can not see anything.
As I stood there watching this useless signpost I concluded that this was great disrespect for the King and that this was a game put in place to conceal the great history of this warrior.
Can the responsible department do something by at least erecting a respectable and visible sign to enable people to see the directions leading to the King’s resting place.
They can erect a stone wall with visible inscriptions.
A few kilometres from this point towards Bulawayo, you come to the Mzilikazi Memorial ( okwakungumthunzi weNkosi). This place is also in a sorry state.
It has been desecrated and disrespected. No one looks after it, and there are no signs to associate it with this Great King. Sign posts on this site have fallen apart. Grass has not been cut for a long time and this place is in such a deplorable state.
If this is an agenda of destroying this rich history, those spearheading such a destructive programme should think again.
I call upon the department of National Museums and Monuments to keep such historical places clean and visible.
I also call upon these many groups that talk about Mthwakazi history to do something to preserve this heritage. It will be meaningless and foolish to talk about Mthwakazi when the source of such rich History is in ruins and desecrated. “Yanyamalala imbali enhle yeSilo sikaMthwakazi”. Ndabezinhle Ndlovu (Inqama Elophondo), Gaborone, Botswana