Liberation songs remain one of Zimbabwe’s most powerful forms of oral testimony, carrying memories of the country’s struggle for independence from one generation to the next, National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ) Director, Brenda Mamvura, has said.
Making her presentation during the Heroes’ Day Photographic Exhibition at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on Monday, Mamvura demonstrated how songs that inspired liberation fighters continue to preserve the country’s history decades after independence.
Inviting learners in attendance to sing liberation songs once performed during the armed struggle, Mamvura said the exercise showed that oral history was still alive among young Zimbabweans.
“It is beautiful seeing a young generation singing a liberation song that was sung during the liberation struggle. It means that we are having a connection with what happened in the past and we are helping it to shape our future,” she said.
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She said liberation songs formed part of oral heritage interviews and were an important archive of Zimbabwe’s collective memory.
“We now have that as a memory through oral liberation history or liberation heritage interviews. It is information that is passed from one generation to another because of collecting information through liberation heritage interviews,” Mamvura said.
Referring to songs by liberation musician and war veteran Dickson Chingaira, popularly known as Comrade Chinx, Mamvura said music documented historical events in ways that written records alone could not.
“These songs have got a connection with our history. If you come to the National Archives of Zimbabwe, we also preserve them because they’ve got historical significance. These songs tell us about our history. They are victory songs and they help us understand what happened during the liberation struggle,” she said.
Mamvura said oral testimonies were only one aspect of the work carried out by the National Archives to preserve Zimbabwe’s liberation heritage.
She said audiovisual recordings captured the voices, experiences and testimonies of liberation fighters, making historical events more authentic and relatable.
“When an event is recorded, you feel that this is realistic. It is a lifelike record. That is why audiovisual materials are very important. They enhance the authenticity of historical records,” she said.
The National Archives also preserves manuscripts written by liberation fighters, maps documenting battlefields, crossing points and training camps, as well as photographs recording key moments of the liberation struggle.
Mamvura said preserving liberation heritage requires safeguarding every form of historical evidence.
“The National Archives of Zimbabwe plays a vital role in preserving the country’s liberation heritage by collecting, safeguarding and providing access to historical records, photographs, oral testimonies, films and other archival materials related to the liberation struggle,” she said.
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