Zim to protect Intangible Cultural Heritage 

BY STEVE EPHRAEM

A workshop undergoing in Chipinge is raising awareness about the importance of safeguarding Zimbabwe’s intangible cultural heritage.

The training focuses on Awareness raising on the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the  safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Zimbabwe. 

Principal Arts and Culture Officer in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture, Ian Nyamundanda, delivered a stark warning in his opening remarks.

“Our intangible heritage stands on the verge of extinction. We are calling on everyone to help safeguard our intangible  heritage.

“If we don’t act now, these precious traditions could disappear forever. To prevent this loss, we will create a national inventory to document and preserve them,” he said.

The initiative highlights the critical need for communities to recognise and actively preserve their unique cultural practices before they fade away.

Zimbabwe as a member of UNESCO, is coming up with a National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage to systematically identify, define, describe, and document the diverse living heritage present within the country.

This inventory serves as the foundation for national safeguarding efforts and for proposing elements to UNESCO’s international lists.