As Africa prepares to mark 62 years since the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU), Namibian President Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has underscored the urgency for African nations to safeguard and champion their own liberation history. During her State visit to Zimbabwe, President Nandi-Ndaitwah toured the under-construction Museum of African Liberation in Harare, a Pan-African monument being developed by the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) to chronicle the continent’s fight for independence and self-determination. Her remarks during the tour were not only reflective but also a call to action, urging African states to actively contribute to what promises to be a continental nerve centre of historical memory.
“I was truly impressed by the work being done here. It is very important that African countries actively contribute to this museum. It gives voice to our shared history, provides a platform to heal from the past, and offers inspiration to move boldly into the future,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah remarked. Her statement echoed a broader Pan-African sentiment, that Africa’s past must be reclaimed, told authentically, and preserved for generations to come. The museum is not simply a building; it is a symbolic structure meant to counter decades of historical distortion, cultural erasure, and external authorship of African narratives.
In this context, her visit takes on heightened significance as it precedes Africa Day, to be commemorated on May 25 under the AU’s 2025 theme: ‘Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.’ The theme reflects a continental reckoning with historical injustices, and a demand for recognition, restitution, and renewed unity. President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s emphasis on Africans taking charge of their stories aligns with the broader objectives of the year, calling for a justice-oriented future that respects the depth and breadth of the continent’s struggles and triumphs.
The Zimbabwe-Namibia relationship itself exemplifies the unity and shared experience the museum seeks to encapsulate. Bound by intertwined liberation histories, the two countries continue to deepen cooperation in education, agriculture, defence, and tourism. The President’s visit and her engagement with the museum project reaffirm the need for liberation stories to be owned, curated, and told by Africans—not only to honour the past but to illuminate the path forward. Her presence in Harare during this significant period serves as both a tribute to the sacrifices of Africa’s forebears and a rallying cry for a future anchored in justice, memory, and African agency.
