Africa-Press – Angola. The rehabilitation process of the Penedo Prison House is in a very advanced stage and should be completed in November of this year, the Minister of Culture, Filipe Zau, recently announced.
The information was give, within the framework of the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the National Liberation Struggle, which is being celebrated.
According to the government official, the intervention in the Prison House, a cultural heritage of the country, is one of the Executive’s priorities in the context of valuing and preserving historical spaces, with a view to returning these facilities to public enjoyment and cultural promotion.
Filipe Zau explained that the restoration of this historic building is part of a broader investment program in the culture sector, which also includes the construction of the new National Library and the creation of the Resistance Museum, projects designed to reinforce the role of culture in the country’s social and identity development.
“What interests us is that culture emerges again and plays the role it should have in any society. Our society deserves this”, he stated.
In addition to the physical rehabilitation of the spaces, the person responsible defended the need to guarantee continuous cultural programming, highlighting that cultural facilities must operate with regular schedules that create job opportunities for artists and professionals in the sector.
In this sense, he highlighted the Palácio de Ferro, which is already in operation with an active cultural agenda, a model that is expected to be replicated in other spaces undergoing rehabilitation.
The minister also revealed that there are prospects for the recovery of other emblematic facilities, such as the Elinga Teatro, as well as interventions in adjacent areas, which could involve the involvement of companies within the scope of their social responsibility.
In the field of international heritage appreciation, Filipe Zau reported that Angola recently submitted, in Paris, the Tchitundo-Hulo candidacy dossier for World Heritage Site.
He also mentioned that other processes are underway that could result, later this year, in the classification of more Angolan cultural assets.
The minister called for the involvement of the media in promoting a culture of respect and appreciation of heritage, as culture contributes to strengthening collective self-esteem, the growth of cultural tourism and greater cultural interaction between provinces.
“Culture is a common good and a contribution for all of us”, he concluded.
About House of Reclusion
The former Military Retention House, located in the São Francisco do Penedo Fort, in Luanda, constitutes one of the most important landmarks in the contemporary history of Angola.
The place is particularly known for the attack on February 4, 1961, considered the beginning of the Armed Struggle for National Liberation, and for having served as a prison for military and political prisoners.
Currently, the building is undergoing restoration, with the aim of being transformed into the Museum of the National Liberation Struggle, integrating the set of Executive initiatives aimed at preserving the country’s historical memory.
The House of Reclusion functioned as a maximum security prison during the colonial period, having housed prisoners from the so-called “Process of the 50s”, as well as figures linked to the events of May 27, 1977, in the post-independence period.
The space therefore assumes a high symbolic value in the political and social history of Angola.
In 2023, funding was announced for the rehabilitation of the old prison, with a view to converting it into a museum.
However, the works had experienced several interruptions over the years, due to the scarcity of financial resources and the constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In recognition of its historical and symbolic value, the Casa de Recluso do Penedo was classified as a Heritage Site of National History in 1992.
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