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Herald Reporter

The Africa Factbook represents a celebration of the continent and highlights the importance of national unity and Pan-African solidarity, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, has said.

She said this in Harare last night as she launched the Africa Factbook, whose publication was coordinated by the Institute of African Knowledge (Instak) and endorsed by the African Union.

Sen Mutsvangwa said the book highlights the history and significance of documenting Africa’s rich African history and stories.

“In the past, we have been preserving our history and passing on our heritage to generations through story telling around a fire or under a shade,” she said.

“While that is traditionally our unique, deep and intimate way of passing on knowledge from one generation to another, it has proven that over time some material and facts get lost in translation and in the process some key elements of our past get eroded.

“That, then deprives upcoming generations of a wealth of knowledge and heritage. Today (yesterday) is the culmination of a great and amazing body of work put in by various institutions and individuals to compile specific narratives and correct certain myths about Africa and its people.”

Sen Mutsvangwa added that the launch of the Africa Factbook, a scholar’s version that is a follow up to the Presidential Edition of the Africa Factbook launched by President Mnangagwa on September 9, 2020, was “a tool of information to enhance Africans’ pride in history and heritage”.

“The Factbook is a celebration of Africa, which highlights the importance of national unity and Pan-African solidarity.

“It is one of the most effective ways of teaching African history and African achievements told and interpreted by Africans themselves hence demonstrating our capability to liberate ourselves,” she said.

The publishers of the Factbook were challenged to ensure that the publication forms part of the school curriculum, not only in Zimbabwe but across Africa.

Talking about a quote from the Africa Factbook which reads: “Until the story of the hunt is told by the lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”, Sen Mutsvangwa said African history has been told from the Western perspective for a long time, but the launch of the Factbook will dispel myths and misrepresentations of the continent.

The book includes African inventions, journeys, pioneers, discoveries, innovations, writing systems and most importantly information on how African countries embarked on the armed struggle to liberate themselves from the shackles of imperialism.

Countries that provided training grounds to freedom fighters or acted as conduits for easy movement of guns, ammunition and various provisions, are also included.

Added Sen Mutsvangwa: “The launch of the book today gives us every reason to celebrate the rich African heritage and patriotic custodians of our rich African heritage.

“The Factbook presents a unique opportunity for educational and cultural diplomatic cooperation between Africa and the world at large, thus boosting tourist arrivals in line with His Excellency, President E.D Mnangagwa’s desire to see a robust revival of the tourism sector both locally and regionally.”

Sen Mutsvangwa saluted the work put in by the editorial board and publishers of the book in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC).

She also praised the team of dedicated and meticulous contributors as well as researchers from all corners of the continent and the Diaspora you for the sterling intergenerational work they put in.

“There can be no better gift you could have given to our motherland Africa besides the gift of knowledge,” said Sen Mutsvangwa.

She encouraged everyone who graced the book’s launch to be authors of their own history.

“Together let’s take pride in our history and heritage. Just like ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’, we, as Africans, take it upon ourselves to create and preserve our history,” said Sen                                              Mutsvangwa.

The 1 124-page book has been endorsed by the African Union (AU).

It was produced after comprehensive research and consultation, and tells the story of Africa as has never been told before.

Running under the theme; “Busting the Myths”, the project will see another tourist edition being published in the next few months to correct the distortions of history of the continent as told by colonial settlers.

Contributors and researchers drawn from various countries combined facts and rewrote the continent’s liberation war history by correcting biased narratives peddled by former colonial masters.

Instak CEO Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi said the digital copy was available for free and anyone can access it on the African Union website or on the Instak website.

The hard copy is being sold for US$50.

“We are busting some very key myths about Africa, that Africa does not have a history. European professors say nothing was known by Africans before whites came and anything that happened prior to their arrival is darkness,” Ambassador Muzawazi.

Advocate Obert Gutu, who attended the launch, said: “I am very happy because we have African scholars who are saying ‘let’s write African stories from the African perspective’ because the danger of having your history written by foreigners is that the foreigner will tell your story from their own perspective and it’s a historical factor that we are a former colony of Britain and the first scholars to write our story were from Britain so you can’t expect a British scholar to come and write a Zimbabwe story from the Zimbabwean perspective.”

The project is in line with the African Union Pan-African Vision of Agenda 2063 and Aspiration Five, which seeks to enhance the strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics of Africa.