Nyashadzashe Ndoro
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has addressed public concerns regarding the treatment of graves in Mount Hampden during the ongoing Cyber City development project.
Responding to an article by Eugene Majuru, the Ministry urged the public that consultations were being conducted with all relevant parties, adhering to both legal requirements and traditional customs.
Emphasising its commitment to protecting historical sites, the Ministry highlighted the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe Act and the Cemeteries Act, which safeguard both ancient and recent burial grounds.
The Ministry clarified that the Mount Hampden cemetery primarily holds the remains of former farm workers. While acknowledging the historical presence of other clans like Mbari, they emphasised that addressing their claims falls outside the purview of this specific project.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage wishes to advise the public and all the concerned stakeholders that wide consultations have been conducted with all parties concerned and some are still ongoing. In doing so, the Ministry is strictly guided by the relevant legislation and traditional customs deserving of such a process,” the Ministry said.
“For the record, all ancient graves are protected by both National Museums and Monument of Zimbabwe Act Chapter 25:11 and recent graves by the Cemeteries Act Chapter 5:04. The two acts complement each other legally in the protection of such ancestral places of value.”
The Ministry said the cemetery in question contains mostly remains of former farm workers.
"The majority of graves are known and their relatives have come forward to identify them. The Ministry through NMMZ continues to widely consult with other stakeholders.
“The Mount Hampden area falls under Chief Zvimba whom the Ministry through NMMZ has again fully consulted. Whereas the Ministry acknowledges the historical existence of claims of other clans who inhabited the Greater Harare area such as Mbari, Gutsa, Hwata and others, their legal and traditional status rests with other government departments and cannot be the subject of the current project.
“As this project is being undertaken, developers have been made aware that should any grave be discovered during construction, the developer should stop and engage an archaeologist or curator of cemeteries who is qualified to categorise the graves and advise on the appropriate action such as exhumation to pave way for works to continue.
“While the Ministry of Home Affairs recognises that it is a constitutional right of every stakeholder to raise issues of concern about development, these should be factual and not based on hearsay. The Ministry remains available for clarification regarding exhumations and reburials of those buried in Mount Hampden,” said the Ministry.
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