The National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) has revealed that the board is scheduled to meet at the end of this June, 2018, to discuss the repossessing of private owned heritage sites.
NHCC Public Relations Officer Isaac Kanguya said the public will however be informed on the outcome of the meeting, once the board concludes all deliberations.
And Mr Kanguya has disclosed that a number of heritage sites that are important to the country’s history are in private hands.
He cited North Western hotel in Livingstone, former residence of first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda as one of the sites in private hands.
Cabinet earlier issued a directive to repossess national heritage sites that are in private hands.
The move is aimed at preserving national heritage sites for future generations to learn from.
It was noticed that most private owners were not preserving the heritage sites in accordance to the guidelines of the commission.
Meanwhile Mr Kanguya says the commission has been given authority by the Ministry of Education to form Heritage clubs in all schools countrywide.
Mr Kanguya said the forming of clubs is aimed at steering interests in pupils to take up careers in conservation.
He noted that through clubs pupils will be able to have firsthand information on the functions and rolls of the commission.
You lack creativity and you want to grab private heritage sites. Very lazy organization, this one. Be creative man
They can’t look after what they are mandated to look after now, now they want to take more. The north western hotel was privately owned until KK nationalized it then moved in. but its never been looked after since.
The North Western Hotel was built in 1907 by Mr and Mrs Freddie Mills. They had dances there and public meetings used to be held there. It was the first multi racial bar in the town in 1961. It was always privately owned until it was nationalized and KK moved in – it is now in ruins !
It is rather sad that the NHCC does not know its history !!!! Why natioanlize things when you cannot look after what you have !!
They have taken a leaf from the government that funds them. They are failing to fund existing local authorities and even announce austerity measures. In the same week of announcing those measures, the electoral commission issues a newspaper advert for local elections to fill council chairperson positions in Chipangali and other new districts. No embarrassment for them. That is vintage PF.