Africa is not yet free – says Zimbabwean president

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that Africa’s freedom and political independence remain incomplete until the continent has full control over its rich natural resources. He was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for constructing the African Liberation Museum in the capital Harare.

“The era we are in now, as Africa, is the story of full ownership and the use of our endowments to modernize, industrialize and ultimately improve the lives of our people,” said Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Through this continental project, let’s put an end to the unilateral Euro-centric narratives that have been perpetuated for too long in the public space. We walk together bound by the ideals of Pan-Africanism, Ubuntu, and African renaissance, through documenting, protecting, preserving, and promoting our rich history of liberation,” he added.

The project is led by the Institute of African Knowledge, a pan-African research organization, in collaboration with Zimbabwe’s government. The Museum has since received a significant boost after China, Russia, and UNESCO pledged to support the historic project.

China has pledged start-up funds for the project and has since invited Zimbabwe to visit the Middle Kingdom to gain Chinese experience on how projects of this magnitude are carried out. Several African countries have declared their support for the liberation museum project.

“The construction of this museum is not about trapping us in our past, but to ensure that we use our history to learn from the past and chart a better future for the next generations,” said President Emmerson Mnangagwa.