Cuba Gifts Historic Artefacts to Zimbabwe’s Museum of African Liberation

By Ilyana Sithole

In a significant milestone for the Museum of African Liberation Project, the Republic of Cuba will officially give a collection of historical artefacts to be displayed at the facility currently under construction by the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK), with support from the Government of Zimbabwe.

This momentous occasion will see Ambassador Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Special Envoy of His Excellency President Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, accept the donation from H.E. Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President of the Council of the Republic of Cuba. He is accompanied by a delegation that includes Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi, CEO of INSTAK, Mr. Zvinechimwe Churu, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, and Brigadier-General Million Ndlovu from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Among the artifacts being handed over are armored cars used in the decisive Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, a pistol belonging to the leader of the Cuban revolution Commandante Fidel Castro and other relics which celebrate Cuba’s immense role in the struggles for African liberation movements.

Ambassador Muzawazi referred to the handing over of the relics as a “momentous marker” in the development of the museum. He said that Cuba, under the leading role of the revolution, had a big contribution to the liberation and post-colonial development of Africa. The artefacts handover represents Cuba and Africa’s historical deep-seated ties.

Additionally, Amb. Muzawazi explained the November 1987 and March 1988 Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in a bid to highlight Cuba’s special role in the liberation of Africa. The battle marked a turning point in the fight against apartheid, as Cuban soldiers joined Angolan and Namibian forces to repel advancing apartheid troops. The victory not only weakened the imperialist-backed rebels in Angola but also sped up Namibia’s march toward independence and paved the way for majority rule in South Africa.

Ambassador Muzawazi also acknowledged continued cooperation by Cuba to African countries since the 1960s and commended it for being a great partner in the areas of health, education, and diplomacy.

President Mnangagwa has been instrumental in driving this collaboration. In 2022, he dispatched a delegation to Cuba to initiate discussions on the museum project. The Cuban President warmly welcomed the invitation and expressed strong support for the initiative. Amb. Muzawazi expressed his gratitude to President Mnangagwa: “The handover is evidence of the excellent cooperation that has been consolidated between the two countries.” He added that, “the engagements made when the delegation visited Cuba in July 2022 have culminated in today’s historic occasion.”

The museum is part of a larger 101-hectare development called Liberation City, described as a monument to the struggles against colonialism and apartheid. It will also seek to document contributions by African and non-African countries to the struggle for independence, depicting a united worldwide effort toward liberation.

Notably, Cuba is one of the three non-African countries whose flag has been hoisted at the Museum; the other two are the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China.

The Museum has been planned to be a memorial that will celebrate the heroic struggles against European colonialism and apartheid, making the contributions of African and non-African nations in this just cause a living history. It will also not only serve as a depository of history but also as a teaching tool for the succeeding generations to make them realize the strength that comes through solidarity in fighting for freedom.

As this historic handover unfolds, it underlines the lasting bonds forged through shared struggles and a collective memory that continues to unite nations in the pursuit of justice and liberation.

The donation by Cuba will turn the museum into one of the strongest global symbols of Pan-African solidarity and an eternal testimony to the sacrifices made in the fight for African freedom.