Mugabe's Party Wants to Rename Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe speaks during the closing day of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party national annual conference in Chinhoyi on December 15, 2013. Zanu PF party has proposed to change the name of the world famous Victoria Falls saying it does not reflect the country’s liberation heritage. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is along Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, along the Zambezi River
- According to the Zanu PF resolutions passed at the party’s annual national conference last weekend, the government would be instructed to get rid of all colonial names for towns and schools
- President Mugabe’s party, which came to power at independence in 1980 changed names of some cities and towns such as Harare as well as streets.
- However, a number of institutions and roads retained their colonial names.
HARARE
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party has proposed to change the name of the world famous Victoria Falls saying it does not reflect the country’s liberation heritage.
Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is along Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, along the Zambezi River.
It was first discovered by Scottish explorer David Livingstone who named it after Queen Victoria.
Locals called it Mosi Oa Tunya, which means ‘‘the smoke that thunders’’.
According to the Zanu PF resolutions passed at the party’s annual national conference last weekend, the government would be instructed to get rid of all colonial names for towns and schools.
“Institutions bearing colonial names must be changed and be given indigenous names…school syllabuses in schools must also change,” Local Government minister Ignatious Chombo said on Wednesday.
“We should teach our children about Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, General (Josiah Magama) Tongogara and other gallant fighters of our liberation struggle.”
The move has been supported by former fighters of Zimbabwe’s liberation war who said it was overdue.
“David Livingstone was not the first person to see the Victoria Falls, they (the falls) must be rebranded Mosi Oa Tunya,” said Jabulani Sibanda, leader of Zimbabwe’s vocal war veterans.
“We have soldiers living at KG V1. How can we have our barracks continue to be named after a foreign king?”
Sibanda said renaming the Victoria Falls would not impact on tourism as critics have claimed.
“People are not visiting (Queen) Victoria, but the falls,” he said.
“If they want to see the legacy of Victoria, her grave is there in England and they are free to do so.
“Very soon they would be landing at Robert Mugabe International Airport,” said the firebrand war veterans’ leader.”
President Mugabe’s party, which came to power at independence in 1980 changed names of some cities and towns such as Harare as well as streets.
However, a number of institutions and roads retained their colonial names.
