Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
A high-level delegation from Zimbabwe is in Havana, Cuba, to sign a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the transfer of historic military equipment used in the iconic Battle of Cuito Cuanavale to the Museum of African Liberation in Harare.
The delegation is led by Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi, accompanied by Brigadier-General Million Ndlovu of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, chief executive officer of the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK), the organisation spearheading the 101-hectare Liberation City project, which houses the museum.
Ambassador Muzawazi described the Cuban gesture as immensely generous and said the artefacts would transform the museum into a five-star heritage institution.
“These are real artefacts that carry the spirit and the soul of Africa’s glorious past,” he said.
The MoU will be signed with the Cuban Institute of Cultural Heritage, which is responsible for preserving the country’s historical legacy.
This marked the third diplomatic engagement between Zimbabwe and Cuba regarding the museum since 2022.
Cuba’s role in the African liberation struggle—particularly during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (1987–1988), where it fought alongside Angolan and Namibian forces against apartheid South Africa—is widely regarded as a turning point in ending apartheid in South Africa and securing Namibian independence.
The Museum of African Liberation, while based in Zimbabwe, curates liberation history from across the continent, and recognises global contributions—including Cuba’s military and moral support to Africa’s liberation movements.
Previously, Cuban National Assembly President Esteban Lazo Hernández donated artefacts during his visit to the museum in March this year.
