By Tatenda Chitagu

It was reported in 2018 that the United States of America’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) had availed US$475 000 for the preservation of the Great Zimbabwe Monuments.

ZimTracker fact checkers dashed to the monuments, located 30 kilometers out of Masvingo City, to establish the reason Zimbabwe needed assistance to safeguard its rich cultural and heritage site, which is a symbol of national pride.

Upon arrival, they unraveled why the Americans had decided to intervene.

The ancient city, lauded as one of the biggest dry non-mortar stone structures in Sub Saharan Africa, had been allowed to degenerate into an impenetrable bush.

This shocking run-down happened under the watch of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), a government body which is charged with preserving ancient, historical and natural monuments, relics and other objects of historical or scientific value or interest.

“You would not believe this was a site declared a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1986, and which Zimbabwe prides as a prime tourist attraction,” remarked Walter Marwizi, Editor of ZimTracker, Zimbabwe’s new fact checking organization which promotes media literacy and access to information in the country’s underserved communities.

Weeds galore

Lantana camara, a shrub native in tropical America, ranks among the world’s 100 worst invasive species and its impact is most severe in semi-arid areas. And at the Great Zimbabwe, this notorious weed had been allowed to grow unmolested for years, and was now threatening the very existence of the World Heritage site, which has attracted thousands of international tourists from across the globe.

Sprouts of the alien plant were now an eyesore as they emerged from the Great Zimbabwe walls, pushing the stones apart and destabilising the monuments’ original architectural features, crafted in ancient times.

To make matters worse, lantana camara, had actually closed the terrace path which is used to access the Hill Complex and eclipsed some of the western dry stone walls.

This sad development rendered the neglected monuments not only unattractive but dangerous. Lantana camara, which grows above two metres, has thorns and its dense growth makes it a fertile habitat for snakes and other harmful creatures.

And this weed is not the typical unwanted grass found in arable lands which can easily be eradicated by a hoe. Its root system is complex and its prickly nature makes it difficult to eliminate.

There was another poser; manually removing sprouts from ancient walls meant breaking apart the dry stones and rebuilding the Great Zimbabwe, something that was unthinkable. Because of this complexity, the NMMZ just watched as the weeds colonized the historical site.

US intervention

The United States Embassy came to the rescue by channeling US$475 000 through the World Monuments Fund, and part of this fund helped the NMMZ to remove the lantana camara, including the shoots that had grown between the walls, without tempering with any of the dry stone walls. The money also helped to install modern monitoring equipment to check wall movements, among other threats.

Local youths were employed to cut the intricate weeds on the hill and below it. The way leading to the great enclosure, also been populated by lantana camara, was cleared. The stumps and shoots on the walls were then laced with kaput and impala herbicides, chemicals that are highly effective in disabling the troublesome root system. Results of the dying lantana camara were observed after one to two months following chemical application.

As a result of the US Embassy’s intervention, and safeguards that were put in place to ensure the money was not abused, lantana camara has been removed on a vast area and visitors are now using the modern path and the ancient path to see the terrace walls. When using the ancient path visitors are now able to appreciate the terrace walls when they look at the Western side of the Hill complex, something that was impossible two years ago. Incidences of snakes and other harmful creatures have now been reduced. Some collapsed terrace walls were also restored.

Project conclusion

On the 12th of April, a ceremony was held to mark completion of the Great Zimbabwe Preservation project.

Chief Mugabe, born Matubede Mudavanhu, who was present at the function, said lantana camara had been a huge threat to the survival of the monuments’ walls.

“We welcome the scientific preservation ways, which are as equally important as traditional ways. Lantana camara had become a major problem at the site. We want to thank the embassy for the support to fight the plant. Keep helping us in maintaining our rich cultural and heritage site,” said Chief Mugabe.

Acting US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Elaine French, said her country will continue to support the preservation of wide range of cultural heritage sites including historic buildings, archaeological sites, ethnographic objects, paintings, indeginous languages and other forms of traditional expression.

“As Zimbabwe’s most iconic heritage site and one of the most prominent in Africa, we are delighted to be partners in the cultural and historic preservation of Great Zimbabwe. I comment the resilience of our partners-The World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the NMMZ for working concertedly to complete the project despite a two year-COVID-19 induced delay,” said the Charge’ d’ Affaires.

Acting US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Elaine French, speaking at the project completion last week (pic by Tatenda Chitagu/ZimTracker)

The WMF is a New-York based, independent organisation devoted to safeguarding the world’s most treasured places to enrich people’s lives and build mutual understanding across cultures and communities.

NMMZ regional director, Lovemore Mandima thanked the intervention by the United States government to preserve the structural and historic integrity of the monuments.

“The NMMZ welcomes the assistance of the US government and the WMF in preserving the monuments. The partnerships we have created locally with universities and other stakeholders will ensure that lantana camara is managed to cause no harm to the national monuments,” said Mandima.

During the implementation phase of the project, local university students learned skills on drystone masonry and best practises in heritage preservation. These skills are set to help in preserving other heritage sites in Zimbabwe and beyond.

Through the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, the Americans have invested over US$760,000 over the past 15 years in the documentation, conservation and restoration of key heritage sites and artifacts in Zimbabwe.