Heritage Centre opens in Matobo

Speaking during its opening on Friday, the centre’s executive board chairperson and renowned historian, Mr Pathisa Nyathi, said AIHC’s objective was to research on cultural elements in local communities and to develop an inventory of cultural artifacts in the communities.
“This will be a centre for hands-on participation whereby people who will visit this site will participate in a lot of cultural activities such as learning how our ancestors made fire through traditional ways,” said Mr  Nyathi.
He said the heritage site, located 60 kilometres along Bulawayo-Kezi road, had a strong education component.
“We will teach people our cultural practices and how to preserve our natural heritage such as                the botanical trees and soils and how these resources were used by our ancestors,” said Mr Nyathi.
“The sad reality is that children learn about cultural artifacts in class, but they never get the chance to really see the objects they learn   about, so this site is there for them. It will develop an education programme that shall link the centre to the education sector to facilitate intangible cultural heritage,” said Mr Nyathi.
He said the centre would have a compartment where they would collect artifacts that are            believed to fit into the local culture and put them in a museum where they would be             exhibited.
“We intend to develop skills and knowledge relating to traditional crafts and provide a market for these crafts among visitors, learners and tourists,” said Mr Nyathi.
The heritage site comprises different departments that include pottery, crafts, wood and leather sections and each section has an expert who is ready to teach anyone who visits the centre.
AIHC has a part dedicated to traditional games that are no longer in practice.
The heritage centre is headed by a board of directors that include Mr Brian Mthimkhulu, a human resources expert, Mr Steward Mantula, Mrs Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi, Mrs Priscilla Sithole-Ncube and Mr Kudzai Chikomo and is chaired by Mr Nyathi.
Admission to the centre is $1 for children, adults $2 while international tourists would pay $5.