21 Nov 2022

Botswana has been offered an acre in the 100-hectare Africa’s liberation museum planned for Harare, Zimbabwe.

A Zimbabwe government delegation told President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi yesterday that the offer was in recognition of Botswana’s contribution to the liberation struggle.

Elated at the proposal, President Masisi said, ‘I am almost emotional’.

He said despite playing an immense part in the liberation struggle, Botswana had played down its role thereby giving others the license to do likewise.

Botswana harboured political asylum seekers from surrounding countries and maintained its cool and stance in the midst of the unrest caused by white minority rule in Southern Africa,  Dr Masisi said.

 Despite the hostility surrounding it, the President said Botswana established a strong foreign policy focused on strengthening ties with neighbours and the rest of the world. 

The country was being driven by peace and tolerance and as it gained confidence and power, it ultimately demanded its seat in the frontline states.

Dr Masisi said Botswana came up with a strategy that protected the liberation leaders in Southern Africa. 

“We learnt to live with challenges and became resilient,” he said.

 None of the Southern Africa countries gained its liberation without the support of Botswana, stated President Masisi.

He said Botswana had always been a strong supporter for  Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.

Dr Masisi said the liberation project offer was the result of Botswana’s quest to regain  its position in the frontline states.

He said the country was proud to be part of a project that would tell and preserve African history.  

Presenting the offer,  special envoy Mr Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said the project which came into being through the tutelage of the Institute of African Knowledge, would not be complete without the role played by Botswana.

“The Africa’s Liberation Museum is a project of Pan Africa member states,” he said. 

Mr Mumbengegwi explained that it would document and preserve the story of Africa’s liberation struggle including the contribution in one way or the other made by African nations.     

Botswana, he said, played an important and critical role in the liberation journey.

Mr Mumbengegwi said the country did so silently, quashing all pressure from the then white minority regimes of South West Africa, South Africa and Rhodesia.

Despite facing immense pressure not to welcome asylum seekers, Botswana did not subject the refugees to arrest or any form of unlawful incarceration.

 Mr Mumbengegwi said the country had silently played a pivotal role in saving the lives of political asylum seekers.

“I cannot think of any leader of the liberation movement who was not received and protected by Botswana. 

All the Southern Africans, who later emerged to take power at the collapse of the oppressive regimes, were nurtured, quietly facilitated in whatever they were engaged in and protected by Botswana,” he said.

Mr Mumbengegwi said the people of Botswana and their government were at the centre of the liberation struggle and therefore their contribution was worth recognising.

 “Botswana must tell her story on the liberation of Southern Africa and display it in whatever form possible at the museum,” he said.

Mr Mumbengegwi said other than the museum, the project would include a five star hotel and an amusement park.

“The main purpose of our visit is to invite Botswana to be part of the project of establishing a liberation museum,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean ambassador, Mr Kwameh Muzawazi said the concept of establishing a liberation museum spoke to the importance his country attached to Pan African leaders’ contribution in liberating some Southern African countries from oppressive regimes.  

It was meant to protect African history, he said expalining that  the piece of land offered to Botswana was for the country to put up a monument on its contribution to the liberation struggle.

“The story of the liberation struggle must be told comprehensively and therefore a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been drafted and will be shared by the two countries on how they will go about in establishing the project,” he said.

Mr Muzawazi said the project was in line with the African Union‘s 2063 Agenda pillar on promoting the continent’s culture and pride. ends