Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent
Cuba will this week hand over a variety of artefacts for display at the Museum of African Liberation, which is being constructed by the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) with Government support.
President Mnangagwa’s Special Envoy on the Museum of African Liberation, Ambassador Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, will this week take receipt of the artefacts from the President of the Council of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez.
Accompanying Ambassador Mumbengegwi to Cuba is the chief executive of INSTAK, Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi, and other delegates.
Ambassador Mumbengegwi will also deliver a special message from President Mnangagwa to President Diaz-Canel Bermudez.
Among the items that the Republic of Cuba is handing over are armoured vehicles used in the historic Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, a pistol that belonged to the iconic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro and other artefacts and paraphernalia related to Cuba’s immense contribution to African liberation struggles.
Ambassador Muzawazi described the handover as a momentous marker in the implementation of the Museum of African Liberation project.
Ambassador Muzawazi said Cuba played a pivotal role in the liberation and post-colonial development of Africa, and the handover of artefacts for display at the Museum of the African Liberation was a historic landmark in the long-standing and deep-seated ties between Cuba and Africa.
“Successive generations must be reminded that Cuba is the only non-African country that actually deployed its own troops to confront apartheid in Africa,” he said.
“Cuba’s most telling contribution to the liberation of Africa was its involvement in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale from November 1987 to March 1988. In that battle, Cuban soldiers got into the trenches with Angolan and Namibian freedom fighters to first stop the advance of apartheid forces, and then to repel them and send them retreating like a rag-tag army back to South Africa.
“That colossal victory greatly weakened imperialist-backed rebels in Angola, speeded up Namibia’s quest for independence, and paved the way for majority rule in South Africa. Even today, the SADC region observes 23 March, which was the last day of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, as Southern Africa Liberation Day.”
Ambassador Muzawazi said before Cuito Cuanavale, Cuba was already supporting Africa’s liberation and development, with such support dating as far back as 1961 when Havana extended military and civilian assistance to the Algerian National Liberation Front.
“After independence, Cuba has continued to support Africa, particularly in the areas of health, education, and diplomatically at international fora.”
Ambassador Muzawazi expressed his deep gratitude to President Mnangagwa for his crucial support for the Museum Project.
“In July 2022, President Mnangagwa dispatched a delegation to Cuba to initiate discussions on cooperation on the Museum of African Liberation Project. Led by Special Envoy Ambassador Mumbengegwi, the delegation met President Diaz-Canel Bermudez, and other senior officials.
“The Cuban President warmly welcomed President Mnangagwa’s invitation to participate in the Museum of African Liberation. There were several subsequent engagements on the matter and today we are humbled and honoured to announce that historic artefacts pertaining to Cuba’s contributions to African liberation will now be on display at the Museum.”
The Republic of Cuba is one of three non-African countries whose flag has been raised at the Museum of African Liberation, with the other two being the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.
The Museum of African Liberation in Harare is part of a 101-hectare multipurpose development known as Liberation City, which is being spearheaded by the Pan-African think tank INSTAK, with support from the Government of Zimbabwe.
Though based in Zimbabwe, the Museum houses material from all African countries that waged armed struggles to liberate themselves, in addition to documenting the contributions of African, non-African countries and organisations that supported the liberation struggle politically, militarily, diplomatically and morally.
The Museum of African Liberation is conceived as a monument to the epic struggle to liberate the African people from European colonialism and apartheid.
