By ANDREW MUKOMA
ACTIVITIES towards independence celebration aimed at promoting domestic tourism and heritage awareness have been lined, says the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC).
Acting Public Relations and Information Manager Maxwell Zulu has disclosed that as a way of advancing domestic tourism in the country, a number of national monuments will be opened up to the public.
In a statement issued to the Daily Nation in Livingstone, Mr Zulu said that the commission hopes the national monuments will help citizens to appreciate the country’s independence heritage through the exhibitions.
“Some National Monuments such as Mwela Rock Art National Monument in Kasama; besides the Embassy Park (Presidential Burial Heritage Site) and Chilenje House No 394 (Old State House) in Lusaka will be open for free entry on independence day to Zambian,” he said.
He said the purpose of the move is to boost tourism activities, promote education tours, besides enhancing the conservation.
Mr Zulu observed that the country has quite a good number of national monuments sites that can help the people to appreciate the country’s independence.
“The commission wants the children between ages 5 and 12 to participate in this year’s independence by engaging in an on-site drawing competition of the mausoleums, and former Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s Chilenje House where he lived and waged his political struggles to liberate Zambia from the yolk of British colony,” he said.
He added that NHCC wants to showcase both Zambia’s rich cultural and natural heritage sites supplemented with information, educational and communication materials intended to entice locals to visit the sites near them hence promoting domestic tourism.
And Mr Zulu charged that the Livingstone commission together with stakeholders in the tourism industry have mobilised themselves in site cleaning of the Victoria Falls and Old Drift Cemetery National Monument in the Mosi-oa- Tunya National Park where heritage talks will be made as well.
