[04/07, 20:36] Ma'am Heritage: Good evening

Our next topic is NATIONAL HERITAGE

Sub-topic: National symbols, monuments and shrines

We first look at

National symbols

a) National flag

b) Coat of Arms

c) The Zimbabwe bird

*Task*

i) Identify features of the National flag and coat of arms

ii) Explain the meaning of each feature.

iii) Explain the significance of the Zimbabwe bird

*Write on your HERITAGE STUDIES notes*

Discussion is on Friday

[04/12, 17:23] Ma'am Heritage: *National monuments*

a) *Great Zimbabwe*

-The Great Zimbabwe National Monument is located in Masvingo town and the monuments were built
from around 1000AD by the Shona people.

-the name Zimbabwe is derived from the Shona word for the monuments 'dzimba dzemabwe,' meaning
'house of stone' or 'stone buildings.'

-Great Zimbabwe is divided into three partitions namely, Hill Ruins, the Great Enclosure and Valley ruins.
*Significance of Great Zimbabwe*

-It represents the values, creative mind and hard work of the people of Zimbabwe.

-The place is a tourist attraction where tourists from all over the world come to view the architectural
expertise of the Shona, as tourists come, they leave behind the much needed foreign currency.

-The structures are part of our history which can be passed from one generation to the other.

*b) Victoria Falls*

-It is also known as 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' meaning 'the smoke that thunders'

-It is positioned almost halfway along the mighty Zambezi River.

-It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

-It is found in the Matebeleland North province and is located on the border between Zambia and
Zimbabwe.

-The European explorer, David Livingston named the falls after Queen Victoria of England.

*Significance of Victoria Falls*

-It is a source of our history and culture.

-Creates employment as sculptors and weavers sell their traditional wares to people who come to see
the falls.

-It is part of our heritage.

-It is a source of income where tourists pay for touring.

-It brings together Zambia and Zimbabwe as they share the falls on either side.

[04/20, 13:19] Ma'am Heritage: *Heritage studies Notes continuation*

*c) Chinhoyi caves*

-The caves are located about 8km from Chinhoyi town.

-Traditionally, the Chinhoyi cavesare called 'Chirorodziva' which means 'Pool of the fallen.'
-They are surrounded bt a national park.

-Some believe that the place was a hideout by Nyamakwena who used to kill people and throw them
into the silent pool.

*Significance of Chinhoyi Caves*

-They are a tourist attraction site, as people visit the lace and pay a fee to view the surroundings.

-The information surrounding the caves and the pool is part of Zimbabwe's history which continues to
be passed on from generation to generation.

*National shrines*

a) The National Heroes' Acre

-The National Heroes' Acre embodies the struggles of the people of Zimbabwe against the brutal
oppressive white settler regime.

-Leaders of the people's revolution, those who sacrificed their lives to bring change in Zimbabwe,
thereby shaping not only the country's developmental pattern, but also the region, are buried there.

-The 57-acre shrine is situated 7km west of the Harare city centre.

-The main attractions are the Statue and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame, the
sculptures depecting different stages of the Liberation struggle, as well as the museum which holds
various exhibitions.

-The shrine has become a muat visit for all serious tourists seeking to understand the tradition and
history of Zimbabwe.

-The National Heroes Acre was built in 1980 as a pleadge to honor those who fought and brought
independence to Zimbabwe.

-Currently, more than 110 heroes and heroines are buried at the National Heroes Acre.

-Among those who rest at the Heroes' Acre are Dr Joshua Nkomo, John Landa Nkomo and Joshua Msika
*(add more heroes and heroines)*
*Main features of the National Heroes' Acre*

-The statues of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most important items on the site.

-It consists of three individuals, two men and a woman who represent the unknown men and women
who lost their lives in the struggle for independence.

-One man is holding a rocket launcher while the woman is holding a gun and the other man a flag.

-The statue has become the official symbol of the walls of the monument were constructed to resemble
Great Zimbabwe while the graves were built in a style similar to the Khami Monument.

-The entire Heroes Acre site is shaped in the form of an AK-47 rifle, a prominent and important weapon
that was used during the struggle for independence.

-Behind the statue and Tomb of the Unknown soldier is the Freedom Tower, which burns the Eternal
Flame.

-The flame stands for the ambition of Zimbabweans to have a free and independent nation.

-It represents the flame that was lit on 18 April 1980 when we celebrated independence.

-The flame also stands for the spirit of all the people who died during the struggle and is on top of a
forty metre tower.

-It is a beacon visible and recognisable from a distance.

-Near the statue and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are murals that depict various stages of the
liberation struggle during the 1960s and 1970s.

*b) Njelele Shrine*

-The shrine is located in Matopo Hills in Matebeleland South province.

-It was usually visited between August and September when rain makers from all over the country came
together for ritual purposes just before the rains.

-In the ancient days, the Njelele Shrine was a place where elders used to go and report all problems
facing the communities such as droughts and lightning bolts striking people.

-They also went there to apologize for society's misbehaviours and other related issues.
-It is said that a voice used to come out of the Njelele rock whenever spirit mediums and ```Iwosana``` (a
person with rainmaking spirit) went to present their grievances.

*Significance of Njelele*

-The place connects people spiritually.

-It is a place to ask for rains from God.

-It is a tourist attraction site.

-It somehow creates employment for locals.

[04/27, 18:32] Ma'am Heritage: *NATURAL RESOURCES*

-Natural resources are things around us that were not made by any human being.

-They are materials from the earth that are uses to support lives and meet people's needs such as oil,
coal, natural gas, air, soil, water, land, fish, forests, wildlife, minerals, etc

-They are used for economic gain, but if they are not used sustainable, they can be depleted.

-The World Bank defines natural resources as materials that occur in nature and are essential or useful
to humans.

-Natural resources can be classified into renewable and non-renewable.

-Resources that are non-renewable include minerals like gold, diamonds and platinum, oil and gas.

-Natural resources are there to sustain human life and all living and non-living organisms.

-Different world economies consume different quantities of natural resources.

*Categories of Natural resources*

Natural resources consumption is divided into three categories: food and drink, housing and
infrastructure, and mobility.
*Food and drink*

-These are mainly derived from agricultural crops and products, game, seeds, water, and herbal
medicines.

*Housing and infrastructure*

These are natural resources that include building materials (cement, bricks, stones, and grass), heating
and cooling systems (coal, charcoal, electricity, gas and the sun).

*Mobility*

This category includes natural resources that assist in the movement of people from one place to the
other, for example, railways, roads, and vehicles are made from natural resources.

-Fuel like petrol, diesel and paraffin are also made from natural resources.

-Natural resources require huge capital and human resources to exploit them through extraction,
processing and refining.

-The last two processes are referred to in Zimbabwe as value addition and beneficiation, implying that
natural resources in their raw form do not bring much value to the economy, unless value is added by
processing them.

[04/27, 18:33] Ma'am Heritage: *Examples of natural resources*

*a) Minerals*

These are the largest foreign currency earner in our country contributing much to the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). There are over 70 commercial minerals that can be exploited in Zimbabwe with the
major ones being gold, diamonds, platinum, chrome, tin, zinc, asbestos and black granite.

*b) Land*

This is a very important resource in Africa, land is a symbol of life and inheritance from our ancestral
fathers. Land is the place where we are born as well as the place where we will be buried. Many
struggles in Africa are fuelled by the need to control this resource, eg in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Angola and
Guinea Bissau. Liberation wars were fought to gain control of this natural resource.

*c) Water*

Water is life and every drop counts. Water covers two thirds of the earth's surface in streams, dams,
lakes and seas. It provides life to people who can irrigate their crops, for example at Cashel Valley,
Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme, Eastern Highlands Tea Estates. Water is a source of entertainment as it
attracts tourists who bring foreign currency like Victoria Falls. Water is also used to generate electricity-
In Zimbabwe some of the hydro-power stations are Kariba Power Stations.

*d) Coal and charcoal*

-Used for heating purposes and transportation.

-Used to generate electricity.

-If it is abundant, it can be exported.

*e) Forestry*

Forestry provides many products such as timber for building materials and furniture. Companies like
Adam Bede Morden Furnitures, Sleep Easy and other informal carpenters depend on this resource. It is
laso uses for heatingin factories or industries.

[04/27, 18:34] Ma'am Heritage: *Threats to our natural resources*

*Smuggling*

If measurres are not put in place to stop this practice, the country cannot derive benefits from the
abundant natural resources as certain individuals take the special resources for their own selfish use.
*Undervaluing*

This is a practice of placing a low value on minerals thereby cheating the state of millions of dollars. For
example, special gold can be marked as poor gold such that tax realised by the government will remain
low.

*Corruption*

Some corrupt individuals form well-connected mineral organizations try to steal the country's resources.
The country thus remains poor while certain few individuals grow wealthy.

*Extinction/Scarcity*

Natural resources may become extinct over time if the rate of exploitation is carelessly done without
thinking of future generations. This applies to minerals, forestry, land and even water bodies.

*Imperialism*

Multi-national companies in most cases come to invest through Foreign Direct Investment. They inject
huge capital and some local people will get employment. However, some areas remain poor despite
having the resources.

*Sabotage*

International buyers can just choose to undervalue minerals owing to political influence or falsehoods.
This results in natural resources failing to unlock the full potential for their growth.

*Significance of natural resources*

Natural resources are important because:

-They are a source of wealth.

-They sustain lives on earth.

-They reduce poverty.

-They create employment.

-Natural resources such as water, mountains and forestry attract tourists thereby boosting the revenue
collections of a country. In Zimbabwe, the Nyangani and Vumba mountains enable the country to earn
foreign currency.

-They are a source of livelihood.

-They can be used to generate electricity.

[05/04, 14:07] Ma'am Heritage: *Constitution*

Constitution is a body of important values or established examples according to which a state or other
organizations are acknowledged to be governed.

-Constitution is a document with set rules (do's and don'ts) that govern the conduct of citizens and the
community.

*'Old' Constitution of Zimbabwe*

The first Constitution of Zimbabwe that came into operation in April 1980 until March 2013, came about
as a result of the 1979 Lancaster House negotiations.

-This 'old' Constitution did not contributions from the majority of the people but was contributed to by
the ZANU & ZAPU liberation wings.

- They drew acceptability to the negotiations from their history in fighting the war of liberation, forcing
the Smith-led Rhodesian Front to agree to their negotiations.

-The negotiations resulted in a compromise that saw Britain largely protecting the interests of the
Rhodesian Front.

- These compromises troubled the elected government of Zimbabwe resulting in 19 amendments ro the
Constitution from 1980 to 2013.

-the 'old' Constitution can also be referred to as a 'cease fire' document.

-It was replaced with a new document called the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amendment
(No. 20).

- This came about through wider consultation and participation of the citizens who submitted their
concerns and what they wanted in terms of institutions and frameworks to guide and protect them.

-It is however important to note that this Constitution was also a product of the major political parties in
the Government of National Unity (GNU) that came into effect on 13 February 2009.

*The Constitution making process*

-Coming up with a constitution is very expensive.

-It involves collecting people's views across the country through outreach programmes,examining the
information and combining data into meaningful and logical sequences through committees.

-The information or the will of the people passes through Parliament to get the majority vote before the
President assents by putting his signature.

-Before this, the views gathered were subjected to a referendum on 16 and 17 March 2013, with 94.5%
of voters agreeing to the contents of the new constitution.

-As a result of this participatory approach, the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amendment
(No.20) is a result of wider consultation and participation of the people of Zimbabwe, hence it is home
grown.

*The road map to a new Constitution in Zimbabwe*

-The Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) was a result of the realisation that
the 1979 Lancaster House Constitution did not address a number of important issues.

-These issues included land, sovereignty,veterans of the liberation struggles well-being as well as
defining our purpose as an independent member of the global village.

-Therefore,there was a need to completely bury and forget the colonial attachments with a new people-
driven Constitution.
-The first attempt to push for a completely new Constitution was introduced by the government in 2000.

-However, this drive hit a brick wall as the majority rejected it with a 'No' vote due to underlying
misunderstanding that it was 'ZANU PF' driven and political pressure from the opposition political
parties.

-After the March 2008 general elections there was no candidate who got 50+1% vote to win the
Presidency between Robert Mugabe (ZANU PF presidential candidate) and Richard Morgan Tsvangirai
(MDC-T presidential candidate).

-This resulted in an election re-run on 27 June 2008.

-Robert Mugabe (ZANU PF ) won the election resulting in him being sworn in as the President of the
Republic of Zimbabwe.

-However,the MDC-T did not agree with the election results.

-This led to parties resorting to a Government of National Unity (GNU) through signing a Global Political
Agreement (GPA) on 15 September 2008.

-Professor Arthur Mutambara was co-opted because he had few Members of Parliament (MPs) who
had won seats on his party ticket, MDC-M.

-Thus,the three parties became legitimate members to champion Constitutional change.

-Amendment Number 19 gave the green light to the GPA of 2008 to lead a process to come up with a
home-grown Constitution.

-The process started in June 2010 with a wide range of stages that ensured transparency and
accountability to all Zimbabweans.

-Since June 2010,the following processes took place:

1.The appointment of the Constitution Select Committee

2.First All-Stakeholders Conference

3. Outreach consultations

4.Data uploading

5.Sitting of thematic committees

6.Drafting stage

7.Second All-Stakeholders Conference

8.Draft Constitution debate in Parliament

10.Presidential Assent

11.The New Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20)

[05/04, 18:49] Ma'am Heritage: *The role of citizens in formulating the Constitution of Zimbabwe*

-Citizens refer to people living in a particular country.

-They are the ones who enter into a social contract with the government to rule them.

-It is important to note that a Constitution whose citizens do not participate in it will definitely fail.

-Citizens do the following during the Constitution-making process:

*Provide their own what should be included in the Constitution during data gathering.

*They participate or contribute during the referendum exercise.

*It is their role and duty to adhere to the Constitution.

[05/04, 18:49] Ma'am Heritage: *Explaining the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe*

-It was approved by former President Robert G. Mugabe and the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

-It is often referred to as 'Amendment No. 20' because it has been the old constitution since 1980.

-Therefore, this new Constitution replaced the old Constitution.

-It has the Preamble, 18 Chapters and First to Sixth Schedules.

*Arrangement of sections*

_CHAPTER 1_

-It describes the founding provisions and values of our great nation, the national flag, national anthem,
public seal and Coat of arms.

-It also presents the following languages as officially recognized in Zimbabwe: Chewa, Chibarwe, English,
Kalanga, Nambya, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, Sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.
- This chapter sets the attitude on what constitutes the Tiers of Government which are:

a) The National Government

b) Provincial Metropolitan Councils such as Harare, Bulawayo and other provinces.

c) Local Authorities

i. Urban Councils like Kwekwe, Kadoma etc

ii. Rural District Councils

*Chapter 2: National Objectives*

As preserved in the Constitution, the objectives guide the State and all its institutions as well as
agencies, these include:

a) Good governance

b) National unity, peace and stability

c) Fostering pf fundamental rights and freedoms

d) Foreign policy

e) National development

f) Veterans of the Liberation Struggle

g) Food security

h) Culture

i) Gender balance

j) Fair regional balance

k) Children

l) Youths

m) Elderly people

n) People with disabilities

o) Preservation of traditional knowledge

p) Domestication of international instruments

*Chapter 3: Citizenship*

The Chapter details issues of citizenship by describing being Zimbabwean by birth, descent or
registration.

It also explains circumstances under which citizenship can be revoked.