Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Simba Musiyiwa
2 August 2008
Harare — Southern African Liberators on Wednesday paid homage to a fellow liberator, the late David Martin when an exhibition hosting the life and work of the late writer, photographer and publisher opened at the National Gallery in Harare.
Martin died on August 18, 2007.
Titled " Life and Liberation" the exhibition which put on display Martin's collection of art from several countries in the sub-region, Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, DRC, Namibia and Zimbabwe would run until August 23.
Martin was a writer, journalist, photographer and later in his life, a publisher with a passion for nature conservation who produced guidebooks to all Tanzania's national parks and others in the region like the Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park.
While the title of the exhibition refers to the liberation struggle, it also reflects the many challenges in a lifetime as Martin successfully fought against alcoholism he had drifted into after suffering personal mishaps.
Guest of honour, Mozambican Ambassador HE Vincente Veloso said the late Martin was a true friend of the people of Southern Africa as he investigated and wrote extensively about the liberation movements in Africa and later the economic and military destabilisation played by apartheid South Africa.
Martin, who counted on former Tanzanian President Benjamin W Mkapa among his close friends, lived in Tanzania from 1964-1974 and in Zambia from 1976-1980 spending some periods in Mozambique and Angola before he relocated to Zimbabwe during the transition to independence in 1980.
In Zimbabwe, Martin established the Zimbabwe Publishing House in 1981 to facilitate local publication of African literature in English, which was then imported.
In 1983, he brought the concept of book fairs to Southern Africa when he founded the Zimbabwe International Book Fair, which unfortunately had to be cancelled this year owing to lack of funding.
Martin was also a founding director of the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, a regional research centre whose founding patron was Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in 1985 and the Musoketwane Environment Resource Centre for Southern Africa in 1992 and a trustee of the Josiah Magama Tongogara legacy foundation.
Dignitaries that included Cde Nathan Shamuyarira and his wife, Cde Stan Mudenge and renowned artist Paul Wade attended the official opening.
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