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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare City Council has come under fire for allocating land incorporating a national heritage site in Mabvuku-Tafara to a housing co-operative, endangering the monument with ancient rock paintings and carvings believed to have been painted by Bushmen many years ago.

The land was allocated to Star Shine Heights Housing Cooperative which is in the process of clearing the area and constructing roads, some of which pass through the site.

There are indications that balancing rocks in the area that are part of the monument could be blasted to make way for the development.

The San or Bushmen are the indigenous people of Southern Africa and their ancient rock paintings and carvings are visible in many caves and rock shelters in the region.

The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) is on record saying much of their historic art might be in danger as vandalism was threatening to completely ruin many sites.

An artist who grew up in the area and was inspired by the rock paintings, Mr Owen Chari, who is a holder of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Creative Art and Design, said the rock art could be around 13 000-years-old.

“We cannot afford to have them demolished overnight,” he said.

“How many generations have lived before us. This is not my plate of sadza, but I am fighting a national   cause.

“Generations to come will still need them when we are done with them. In China they build artificial boulders, why should we destroy the natural ones we have?”

The city’s corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said the city would preserve the national heritage site.

“We are a city that promotes tourism and as such we cannot be seen killing the goose that lays the golden egg,” he said.

“Harare is a tourist destination of repute in the world. We are not stopping the project, but making sure the rocks remain intact.”

According to the United Nations’ Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) more than 80 percent of Africa’s outstanding cultural and natural sites have deteriorated due to a lack of strong conservation plans.

Illegal activities and poor funding remain a major constraint to the protection of such sites.

Other sites with such paintings like Ngomakurira and Domboshava sites, which are large granite dwalas, have also been damaged by people who enter the area illegally during the night and light fires near the granite wall.

The smoke ruins the artwork.