Museum to be set up at Connemara Prison

Jerry Chifamba

The Government is converting a wing of Connemara Prison, a historical detention centre for nationalists during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, into a museum by mid-March 2025.

This initiative aims to preserve the country’s history and highlight the brutality faced by liberation heroes.

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Owen Ncube said, “As we reflect on our painful past, these heritage sites inspire our collective determination to modernise and industrialise our economy.”

The Connemara facility, one of four significant heritage sites in the Midlands Province, previously housed prominent nationalists, including Leopold Takawira and Edgar Tekere.

The museum will feature murals that tell the story of the liberation struggle while maintaining the site’s original character.

National Museums and Monuments director Mr Clapperton Gutu said the project is in progress, with a budget already secured and a procurement team mobilised.

“Work is now in progress. We want to put murals on the walls, which will unpack the story of the liberation struggle,” he said.

“The budget is now there, and the procurement team is on the move. There are a lot of touch-ups to be done, but we don’t want the detention centre to lose its originality.

“This way, we will be able to preserve our rich history by highlighting the brutality that was unleashed on our liberation heroes by the settler regime.”

This year, Midlands Province will host the national Uhuru celebrations at Mutora Business Centre, further highlighting its historical importance in Zimbabwe’s journey to independence.