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| Historical sites currently being renovated under the NMT at Mikindani Old Town in Mtwara, Tanzania |
The National Museum in Tanzania (NMT) has under it seven museums inclusive of the Village Museum (Dar es Salaam), Museum & House of Culture (Dar es Salaam), Natural History Museum (Arusha), Arusha Declaration Museum (Arusha), Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere Museum (Butiama), Maji Maji war memorial museum (Songea), Dr Mfaume Rashid Kawawa Museum (Songea). This institution also boasts of over 90 sites and monuments nationwide that as well are under its care.
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| The Ngoni traditional rest house currently renovated at the Village Museum in DSM, TZ. This house is for the male head of the household |
Effective since April this year NMT has managed to secure government funding equivalent to 2.45 Billion Tanzanian Shillings. This from the Covid-19 development relief funds that the Government of Tanzania has procured from international financial instutions like IMF & the African Development Bank.
Like the majority of African countries Tanzania
doesn’t escape the paradox of being with systems of governance barely clocking
a century (Tanzania as a government is 60 years old). While its citizens are
scientifically accredited to have a lineage going back to early hominids
(precursors of modern man) as evidenced at the House of Culture Museum under
NMT in Dar es Salaam. Where the original skull of a Zinjanthropus boisei or Paranthropus
boisei exists, this early man goes back 1.8 million years hailing from the
Leakey’s excavation of it in the 50’s at Olduvai Gorge in Northeast Tanzania.
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| An old mosque currently being renovated by the National Museum of Tanzania in Mikindani, Mtwara courtsey of Covid-19 TZ GVT development fund |
For the institution with the mandate of preserving,
researching communicating and educating the public; aligned with their strategy
(2021-2026) vision of having a society with a strong sense of value and pride
in its heritage and culture. Theirs is a wide opportunity to wipe the amnesia
that clogs our perception on what were we really up to as a people 400 yrs
back, heck even 5000 years ago. As its evident the particulars of this history
aren’t as easily accessible to the majority of Tanzanian & African natives.
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| An old Fort in Lindi Town a historical monument currently being renovated by NMT in Lindi, TZ |
In seeking more insight on what this fund means
for NMT in continuing to fulfill its role, the Director General of NMT Dr. Noel
Lwoga relays. “I felt lucky to be part of the process of mapping the strategic
plan for NMT for the next five years 2021-2026. I knew the challenges it was
facing particularly with regards to low attendance from the public to its
exhibition & sites. Herein there are many factors involved some contextual
others geographical et cetera. However we’re happy to report that in all our
seven museums in Tanzania during the apex of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 till
2021. More than 350,000 people visited our museums with an above 80% local
record.” Prior to his appointment at the NMT Dr Lwoga was a lecturer at the
University of Dar es Salaam with his education background focused on Archaeology
& Tourism.
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| Renovations currently taking place at the Maji Maji museum in Songea, Tanzania |
In my thirst to uncover if this paradox concerns
our government of having a nation rightly celebrated as 60 years old yet with a
people linked to a history stretching back a million years plus. It was a
pleasant surprise to learn as the head of Public Relations at NMT Ms Joyce M.
Mwakalobo informed me. “Tanzania also boasts of over 25 private museums
inclusive of Kaole, Olduvai Gorge & Old Boma; many of which are communally
owned and are officially recognized by the Ministry of Natural Resources &
Tourism in Tanzania.”
Sitting with these exec’s of NMT it was
ascertained that this funding came at an opportune time, as the institution was
experiencing a dry spell of necessary funding for its sustainable development. Thankfully
the fund is already being put to good use working to repair, revamp and or
renovate various spaces countrywide under its care. These renovations are
divided between sites/historical monuments and the museums.
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| This is a traditional storage house for harvested grains for a tribe from Southern East Tanzania. Renovated currently at the Village Museum in DSM |
Among the sites currently being renovated is the historical
town of Mikindani in Mtwara. Specifically it’s old harbor, prison, as well as various
decaying buildings (mosques etc) and it’s old fort. “All the renovations we’re doing like at
Mikindani the old prison, which was a slave port, we’re always consulting various
experts including archaeologists. To ensure the authenticity of the materials,
arrangements, finds are respected so as to safeguard the historical integrity
of these sites.” Neema Mbise head of Planning Unit at NMT shared, it was
riveting to learn from her office that NMT is as well renovating the Tenda Guru
site in Lindi region.
This is where two full dinosaur skeletons were
excavated and taken to Germany in the early 1900’s. They are still there with
one of them holding a Guinness record since 2007 as the world tallest mounted dinosaur
skeleton (Brachiosaurus brancai) in Berlin. NMT has thought to allow the site
to be marked with clear identifications (photographs, info graphics) branding;
so as to allow East Africans to know of their own heritage without waiting to
get a ticket to go to Berlin.
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| Partial aerial view of renovations underway at Mikindani Old Town in Mtwara, Tanzania by the NMT. Sponsored Tanzania's GVT Covid-!9 development fund |
Other sites that are being renovated include the
Kimbiji site in Kigamnoni, Dar es Salaam. Also Lindi Old Town is having its
historical sites renovated inclusive of its Old Tower. The sites at Mafia Kilwa
Island are also in the planning for renovations this year. These renovations of
sites include the installation of administration small offices, branding
materials (sign posts etc) and establishing amenities like toilets and or café’s.
“As for the museums we have decided to revamp the
exhibitions in six of our seven stations but we as well are in the process of
renovating our collection stores. Among the exhibitions being revamped is the
ones at the Museum of House of Culture, namely the customs and the natural habitat
exhibitions both at the King George Hall. In this museum we’re also working on
renovating the stores and installing an international standard lab for preservation.”
Mme Neema Mbise informs, she added that other renovations happening in NMT
museums are at the Arusha declaration, the Natural History, the Maji Maji and the
Nyerere museums. These renovations include expanding exhibitions (boosting
collections, enhancing displays), installing laboratories, revamping libraries
adding amenities (toilets, boosting security) et cetera.
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| A memorium of the smelting iron furnace from the Wafipa tribe in Tanzania who were smelting Iron since the 1700, it is part of the renovations |
“The interaction of person and thing with regards
to museums can’t be static.” As Dr Lwoga shared this statement he went on to
emphasise the unique process of the renovations of traditional homesteads at
this Village museum. All the homesteads at this museum were built with
assistance from the tribe members many times with their Chiefs a norm going
back since the establishment of the museum in 1967.
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| This is the traditional kitchen for the Ngoni tribe as renovated at the Village Museum in DSM with a food storage & stove. |
“Towards the end of 2021 I was happy to attend a
meeting pulling together various Museum Heads in Senegal. There was a hot
debate that ensued following the difference of preservation for Africans in
terms of cultural artifacts and the West.” Dr Lwonga notes here that what is
valued in African preservation of its heritage involves more of a living
pilgrim rather than a calcified object. Where in the west historical
preservation of heritage leans more towards aesthetics and permanence, with
African preservation he shared that there’s a lot of spiritual connotations
that don’t look at decay as a peril rather a chance for the community to come
together in its ‘ubuntu’ philosophy t renovate these pilgrims.
While the National Museum of Tanzania is doing this powerful work, it is wise to note that the institution has still a long way to go. To ensure it works as an effective catalyst pulling all the cultural stakeholders (Creatives & Academicians) in the country. To work together alongside their mission of protecting, promoting and managing our national heritage for the present and future generations. For only then will it effectively accomplish many of its strategies, including that of establishing an inventory of all the cultural resources & treasures existing outside the country. Treasures like the dinosaur skeleton in Germany that only when enough Tanzanians care and send an outcry to the world in a united manner, will active results be seen in the way of restitution.
n.b. this article was first published in The EastAfrican newspaper and the Daily Newspaper in Tanzania
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