Moffat Mungazi
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
A DEDICATED team at Marange Community Museum is appealing for support from stakeholders and the local community to safeguard and maintain its valuable collection of artifacts.
Additionally, there is a growing need to explore innovative ways to make the museum more sustainable and beneficial to the community it serves.
There is a growing consensus that the Marange Community Museum should be more viable and beneficial to the local community.
To achieve this, a collective effort is required from relevant stakeholders to implement strategies that ensure the museum’s long-term sustainability and amplify its cultural and educational impact.
Key initiatives could include enhancing the visitor experience, developing community outreach programmes, and forging partnerships that preserve and promote the museum’s rich cultural heritage.
By doing so, the museum can contribute meaningfully to local economic growth, while remaining a vibrant hub of community engagement and cultural enrichment.
Furthermore, there is a drive to create a more immersive and engaging visitor experience at the museum, through innovative exhibits, events, and workshops that bring to life the rich history of Zimbabwe and Marange in particular.
These initiatives aim to, not only preserve and showcase the local heritage, but also stimulate the local economy by attracting more visitors and instilling a sense of community pride.
Unless urgent action is taken, the museum risks being relegated to the status of a ‘white elephant’, a fate that would undermine its potential to serve as a vibrant cultural hub and economic driver for the local community.
The Marange Community Museum, situated 72km southwest of Mutare, faces operational challenges that necessitate urgent attention. Maintaining the museum’s appearance is crucial, as a presentable space can generate income that benefits the local community.
The access road, while passable, requires regular maintenance to ensure visitor accessibility. Furthermore, targeted marketing, awareness, and publicity campaigns are essential to prevent the museum from becoming a neglected relic.
As a rich heritage site showcasing arts and cultural artefacts associated with the Marange chieftaincy, the museum’s preservation and promotion are vital for safeguarding the region’s cultural legacy.
The Marange Community Museum boasts of seven distinct display galleries, each offering a unique perspective on the community’s rich cultural heritage and modern developments.
The seven different display galleries showcase various aspects of the Marange community, from both cultural and modern perspectives, including the entertainment gallery, wonder gallery, faith gallery, President gallery, and inheritance gallery, among others. It also prominently displays pictures of three main cultural landscapes found in Marange — Nhengwe, Makomwe and Nyarurwe mountains.
Apart from the pictorial displays, the gallery also comprises of cultural objects that are the flagship of the Marange chieftaincy. These include a red cloth that is draped by men, black rob put on by women, while children will be noticed by putting on a white cloth.
The Entertainment Gallery is a vibrant showcase of Zimbabwe’s contemporary music scene, highlighting the contributions of local musicians whose work has had a profound impact on the Marange community and Zimbabwean culture as a whole.
Notable musicians who include the late national hero, Oliver Mtukudzi, celebrated Afro-contemporary musician, Jah Prayzah, secular musician, Tocky Vibes and sungura maestro, Alick Macheso have their pictures extracted from newspaper cuttings displayed in the gallery.
There is also a Marange Hall of Achievers’ Gallery which pays tribute to the community’s most accomplished individuals, showcasing notable personalities from Marange who have excelled in various fields.
This inspiring gallery features photographs of distinguished engineers, business leaders, sports personalities, and entertainment industry professionals, celebrating their achievements and serving as a source of community pride.
The museum also houses a gallery has various craft-wares that typify the technical abilities of the Marange community, both from the past and to present.
Some of the objects on display in this gallery include baskets, mats, pottery, bowls and guitars. The significance of this gallery is to enlighten to the Marange community that one can earn a living from crafts work.
This gallery, again through pictorial displays, attempts to educate the visitor on the importance of marriages that are attained through formal weddings.
There are pictures of selected people from the Marange community who had white weddings. This is also meant to inspire youths on the value and sanctity of marriage. Other pictorial displays in this gallery showcase wedding cakes and event decorations.
It has displays of various Shona cultural objects that are often associated with traditional healers and witchcraft.
Some of the objects on display include horns, owls and winnowing baskets.
There are also pictures of hyenas, an animal which is associated with witchcraft. There are eight huts in this village which also constitute part of the Marange Community Museum. The village offers shelter to orphans, widows and other people in the Marange community with various social problems.
The place has no clean water and electricity.
The borehole that the keepers rely on is distant. There is no security at the museum, making it risky for visitors to tour the museum freely and safely.
“We need support to preserve this site. It is crucial that more efforts are made to uplift the museum and develop strategies that not only enhance its cultural significance but also create a sustainable source of revenue.
“By doing so, we can ensure that the museum becomes a thriving hub that brings lasting benefits to the community, both culturally and economically. We must also explore partnerships, promote the museum widely, and create engaging experiences for visitors, ensuring that it stands as a testament to our heritage while contributing to local development,” said the museum founder, Rodwell Marange.
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