Published by the government of Zimbabwe
17 November 2008
Harare — The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe recently completed installation of surveillance and security equipment at the Great Zimbabwe Museum to curb theft of valuable historical artefacts and cultural resources at the Great Zimbabwe Monument site in Masvingo Province.
The United States Embassy provided the funding for the purchase of equipment through the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. The funding enabled the NMMZ to procure CCTV systems, battery back-ups, computer equipment, alarm and fire detection systems and provided training to staff on the use of the new equipment.
The Great Zimbabwe site is the most valued and revered in the country and includes a museum and interpretative centre. This museum houses many valuable archaeological artefacts from the immediate area as well as a collection of stone birds that are a source of national pride and in various forms are Zimbabwe's national symbols. "Heritage preservation projects allow us to work closely with Zimbabwean organisations, and to affirm our respect for Zimbabwe's cultures as we jointly identify sites, objects and forms of traditional expression in critical need of preservation," says Mr James McGee, the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe.
"I am particularly happy to be able to support the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe in the preservation of the Great Zimbabwe Museum. Preservation of the artefacts will prevent the tragic loss of these works and preserve this important historical site for future generations" he said.
NMMZ director Dr Godfrey Mahachi hailed the US government for the timely support, noting that "the new state-of-the-art equipment will go a long way in improving the security of the irreplaceable artefacts at the museum".
"African heritage sites have suffered heavy losses of cultural objects to theft. The state-of-the-art security systems that we now have will prevent trafficking of these rare artefacts and remove the immediate risk of permanent loss if stolen artefacts can be authentically identified and recovered," said Dr. Mahachi.
The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation assists individuals and organisations preserve museum collections, ancient and historic sites, and traditional forms of expression, as ac way of reinforcing cultural identity and community solidarity.
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