The Journey continues- Nyararai Mundopa

Domboshava National Monument

 In my previous post I indicated that I am interested in coming up with suitable case studies to discuss the management disparities which exist in Zimbabwe to the benefit of my thesis. For now I have settled for Chibvumani and Ndongo heritage sites but I am still widening my search for the most appropriate examples. 

Recently the Cultural Heritage Department organised a thesis presentation seminar for 1^st year students. It was an opportunity for us to present our thesis ideas to second year colleagues and receive valuable feedback in return. I appreciate the insightful and thought-provoking feedback I received from our professors and colleagues during my presentation. Thus, my focus has now shifted from being confined to the management of dry stone structures of Zimbabwe but rather to other forms of heritage in the vicinity of Great Zimbabwe despite the extensive analysis my research will be confined to a manageable number of case studies. Management of these sites is also based on perceived significance, magnanimity, accessibility, availability of research material and most importantly economic potential. Consequently, some rock art sites are receiving great attention whilst some suffer deterioration in obscurity.   

I will also draw inferences from the management of several rock art sites to understand the disparities brought up by the classification system. Examples like, Domboshava National Monument  which was declared a National Monument in 1936, its protected area encompasses rock paintings, late stone age deposits, a geological tunnel, a sacred forest and spectacular granite formations. Domboshava National Monument has been developed significantly for tourism. In comparison with  Chamavara National Monument located 36km north east of Great Zimbabwe National Monument, which consists of a big rock shelter facing east and a few separate panels with some rock paintings. The site’s major attraction is a series of paintings that include a human figure and many other animals such as giraffe, kudu, elephant, only to mention the three. However, 2016 monument inspection report shows that the site lack signage and there is a midden in the cave which is heavily affected by soil erosion. 

Chamavara National Monument

In addition, my research will advocate for an approach that involve local communities to the heritage they live around. This will be an improvement from ‘Adopt a site programme’ a management tool which  National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) is currently using. The management tool gives management mandate to local schools whilst alienating local communities. Thus, I will draw a model on the best practices on involving local communities in the management of heritage. The model will be routed from Actor Network Theory, which states that the ability to accomplish given responsibilities is not placed in the formal structure of power and authority or top-bottom order rather in collective action from all stakeholders. In this instance it should be collective agency between local communities and NMMZ in the comprehensive management of Zimbabwean Heritage. My research will draw a critical analysis from Ndongo site where the approach was bottom-up. The local community made initiatives to cooperate with NMMZ  to restore and help preserve the site.

My thesis will also produce a contingency management plan in the event of pressures that affect the survival of sites in the wake of new infrastructural developments around them. Such developments affect use, access and cultural setting of sites. And also, the effect of current demographic movements i.e. rural to urban migrations have an impact on the management of heritage that needs to be addressed as well.

Thus far I have gone down the road towards the drafting of a new management plan for sites, the journey continues..

Picture credits

picture 1: httpzimfieldguide.comhararedomboshava-cave-and-hill

picture 2: httpswww.linkedin.compulseinyanga-bread-basket-anunnaki-jim-davidson

Sources

1. Czarniawska-Joerges, Barbara., and Tor. Hernes. Actor-Network Theory and Organizing. Liber, 2005.

2. Taruvinga, Pascal, and Webber Ndoro. “The Vandalism of the Domboshava Rock Painting Site, Zimbabwe: Some Reflections on Approaches to Heritage Management.” Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 6, no. 1 (2003): 3–10.