Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE should rewrite its history through sculptures and murals, a phenomenon that is gaining prominence globally, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Cde Farai Jere has said.
He said sculptures and murals should tell stories of liberation heroes, cultural heritage sites and other national issues of interest.
Cde Jere made the remarks while chairing a joint meeting of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Thematic Committee on Culture and Heritage at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden.
The joint committee was receiving oral evidence from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage on the need to preserve Zimbabwe’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage and promote national unity and cultural diversity.
“As a country, why are we not having the sculptures of our fallen heroes, of our Chief Rekai Tangwena,” he asked.
“We have got their pictures. Why are we not having their sculptures like what the Europeans have done? We can rewrite our history through that. If our children and the old and all the age groups see an imposing structure, they get so attracted to want to know what is happening.
“If you go to America, you can see the statues of JFK. That is history. If you go to South Africa, next door here, one of the places which is visited the most is Nelson Mandela Square and you find people taking photos. So, we need to write our history and through that, you are guaranteed that Nelson Mandela’s legacy is not going to die.
“But if you look at the next 10 years, if you ask our children who Josiah Magama Tongogara was, they won’t be able to know. Why can’t you have his statue? His pictures are there.”
Cde Jere said the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage should spearhead the programme.
“We can have a programme where we start by having 10 statues. Starting from next year, we need to have a programme whereby we are committed,” he said.
“We know these heroes of the First Chimurenga, Second Chimurenga and the courage of the living heroes, let us have their statues, let us have their murals.
“We need to have those things around our country. We are here writing our history and our history will not die.”
