Zim Gives SADC Free Land At Museum of African Liberation’s Heritage Village by INSTAK

By Ross Moyo
Zimbabwe President has offered free land to his SADC member states at the Museum of African Liberation’s Heritage Village by Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK).

President Mnangagwa made the revelations in the presence of INSTAK chairman Ambassador Simbi Mubako and his Chief Executive Ambassador Kwameh Muzawazi.

President Mnangagwa told journalists on the sidelines of his museum tour, adding satisfaction to note that the vision for the Museum of African Liberation was actualising.

The President also narrated the Nyadzonya Massacre of refugee youths which happened 48 years ago on August 9, 1976 in Mozambique.

Approved by General Peter Walls, the head of the Rhodesian army, the Nyadzonya massacre was code-named “Operation Eland” by the racist Rhodesian regime, carried out by 72 Selous Scouts commanded by South African Captain Bob Warracker.

A total of 1 028 refugees died out of the 5 250 that occupied the camp.

10 mass graves were dug to bury the dead while the more than 1 000 seriously injured were admitted at Chimoio, Beira, Tete and Katandica Hospitals in Mozambique.

The President said the museum is a reservoir for such history whose days were worth remembering as they served as a reminder of what it took to liberate Zimbabwe.

“Lots of lives were lost at Nyadzonya as a result of an attack by the Smith regime then. Lots of our girls and boys perished on that occasion but of course that was the process for liberation and independence.

“We have to remember that, that is the process for independence, we had to sacrifice to reach where we are today,” he said.

The forthcoming 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State, beginning tomorrow will see member states given land by the Museum of African Liberation for their own works to memorialise the region and Africa’s history.

This land donation is part of the Museum of African Liberation’s inclusive efforts to project elements of the region’s cultural heritage and its collective identity, to enable people to keep the memory of the continuities of their struggle against colonialism.

“Well from my last visit, there is remarkable development actualising the vision which we have for this place. It is going to tell our history, our liberation struggle, our independence and of course the history of our people,” President Mnangagwa said.