South Africa and Tanzania are expected to sign various agreements today aimed at preserving the history of the liberation struggle as part of the two countries’ implementation of the Roads to Independence in Africa project that is endorsed by the United Nations.
Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, who arrived in Tanzania on Tuesday, is scheduled to meet his counterparts in that country for a bilateral meeting on the implementation of the project both in South Africa and Tanzania.
The Roads to Independence in Africa is a multi-country programme to be hosted by Tanzania in collaboration with African Union and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO). It is aimed at recognising the role played by Tanzania in providing material and moral support to the liberation movements that led the struggle for independence in Southern Africa.
The meeting between Minister Mthethwa and the Minister responsible for Culture in Tanzania is expected to provide an update on the status of the project in the two countries and how to further cooperate to ensure that the struggle history of South Africa and the country’s road to liberation is documented and the history is not lost.
This programme includes the construction of a museum, library and archives and aims at recognising the spirit of solidarity and cooperation amongst Africans in the context of the liberation movements. The Department of Arts and Culture says the Roads to Liberation project has the potential to strengthen people-to-people cooperation using culture.
Tanzania played a very important role in the fight against apartheid in South Africa and many of South Africa’s activists were based in Tanzania. The first National Consultative Conference of the now governing party, the ANC, was held in Morogoro, Tanzania, from 25 April to 1 May 1969.
