Chicala-choloanga - The minister of Culture and Tourism, Filipe Zau, Saturday in central Huambo Province highlighted the role of traditional authorities in the reconstitution of the national history, for having tales and oral reports about the historical facts of Angola and Angolans.
The minister, who was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day visit to Huambo, expressed the need for the contribution of the sobas (chieftains), who have received, orally, more data transmitted by their ancestors.
According to Filipe Zau, there are several historical facts concerning the country and the Angolan people that still need to be heard and written down, while other aspects of national history have been told in a simple way.
“Therefore, the role of traditional authorities is important, because they have oral accounts that can serve as memories for the reconstitution of the true history of Angola”, he stressed.
For this effect, he said that the National Historical Archive, besides documents, will also start to collect testimonies from traditional authorities, because not everything is written.
In this regard, he called on historians to work in partnership with the government to collect historical data and information together with customary power holders with the objective to develop the necessary scientific studies, with a view to consolidating the historical and cultural national identity.
He highlighted the tourism potential of the Kandumbo rocks, due to the natural beauty and historical role developed during the anti-colonial struggle in the twentieth century.
He recalled that the war against colonialism that took place in Kandumbo rocks, in the distant year of 1902, was fundamental in the defence of the autonomy of the people of the central and southern region of the country, which culminated with the proclamation of National Independence, on November 11, 1975.
During the working day in Huambo Province, the minister visited the Kandumbo Stones, located in the Municipality of Chicala-cholohanga.
The natural monument of the Kandumbo rocks, with cracks, caves and a 300-meter long furnace of a monstrous granite mass, was the scene of titanic struggles of the soba N'Dala, against the Portuguese colonizers; this mass is the excellent natural fortress of the Kandumbo Stones.
The site, located 25 kilometers from the center of Huambo city, in the direction of Bié, was elevated in 2016 to the category of National Heritage, by the Ministry of Culture, given the important role it played in the course of Portuguese actions during the colonial occupation.
Tourism
In addition to the natural monument of the Kandumbo Stones, the minister also visited some tourist enterprises in the Province of Huambo, having stressed the importance of the sector in the process of diversification of the economy, by allowing the promotion of employability, especially for young people, and the creation of more sources of revenue collection for the state.
Therefore, Filipe Zau defended the increasing strengthening of the partnership between the tourism agents and the Angolan government, in the creation of consensual policies to bring greater dynamics into this segment of the economic sector.
Still on his second day of work in Huambo, the minister of Culture and Tourism also visited the São João and Ruacaná Theater, which are inoperative due to the high state of degradation, as a result of the effects of the armed conflict that took place in the country until 2002.
