The National Heritage Conservation Commission is evaluating the likelihood of marking the rock in Kapiri Mposhi believed to have historical significance to the liberation struggle like the documented Mulungushi Rock of Authority.
National Heritage Conservation Commission Acting Executive Director, Ndiyoyi Muyumbwa says the commission will assess supporting information to classify the rock, adding that even if the rock sits on private land, national interest will take precedence if the rock is found to have historical significance.
As long as it is something of national interest when the Ministry of Lands shows that the land was erroneously given the law provides for compensation or compulsory acquisition of that land harbouring national monuments.
The rock is sited on a private farm about three Kilometers from the monumental Mulungushi Rock of Authority at Mulungushi University and is believed to have been used by leaders of the independence struggle to strategise before addressing freedom fighters at the main Rock of Authority.
Recent revelations that like the main Rock of Authority sitting at Mulungushi University in Kapiri Mposhi district, the Rock on a privately owned land which has been fenced off by a private individual, holds historic significance to the liberation struggle of Zambia has attracted both public and government interest wondering why the rock has not been documented and declared as a national monument.
But in an interview Mr Muyumbwa says there is a need for supporting information and proof, especially from freedom fighters and those who could have information to clarify and corroborate the new information about the rock to come forward.
He added that the Commission depends on information from members of the public about sites they feel should be declared heritages.
Meanwhile, the initial owner of the farm harbouring the rock believed to have been forgotten in the historic records of the country has availed land acquisition records dating as far back as 1966.
Mr Rotson Musweu, 79, says he bought off 746 hectares of land previously owned by Tobacco Boards of Zambia in 1966 before subdividing it for sale in 1988.
Updating both Kapiri Mposhi Town Council Chairman, Brilliant Munyeke and District Commissioner Francis Hasalama who visited the area on a fact finding mission, Mr Musweu wondered why it has taken this long for the country to realize that the rock in his farm held historic significance maintaining that the only Rock of Authority is the one documented at Mulungushi University.
” If you have attended the Mulungushi University graduation ceremony that is the rock…this one in my farm nobody even knew about it as a youth and the time I became a man I didn’t know that there were two rocks of authority, there was only one,” Mr Musweu said.
But Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Francis Hasalama stated that the rock in question was used for leaders of the freedom struggle to strategise before meeting the larger membership at the now documented Mulungushi Rock of Authority at Mulungushi University.
Meanwhile, Kapiri Mposhi Town Council Chairman Brilliant Munyeke has clarified that the documented Mulungushi Rock of authority has not been sold as earlier reported.
It is our land. If a whlte farmer owns the land they should not be compensated. How do you compensate for something that is yours
FUSEKE 1DI0T
DOES YOUR PAY MASTER EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU BLOG ON THEIR BEHALF
Tikki we are disappointed in your comments. There is no need for such language. We blog on behalf of Mr zulu. We are a media team set up to help mr zulu. Please be careful with the things you say. Our team is based all over the world. I can locate you in uk where one of our colleagues is based representing pf in the UK.
Another halfbaked story. So how do you identify any rock for that matter as some rock of authority? Does the rock speak and tell you Iam a rock of authority? You are carrying a story without giving your audience full details