Africa-Press – Angola. The 12th edition of the festivities in the city of Mbanza Kongo and the fifth year since its elevation to World Heritage status begin today, in Zaire, with various cultural activities and greater attention to the future challenges of preserving the legacy and valuing local identity, defended, Thursday on Monday, Governor Pedro Makita Júlia.
The official, who officially opened the city’s festivities, considered the recovery and greater dissemination and appreciation of the province’s heritage to be fundamental, in order to make them a space of national and then international reference.
To this end, he continued, the recommendations suggested by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) on the Historic Center of Mbanza Kongo have already been fulfilled, with the exception of the province’s airport.
The construction process of the “Nimi ya Lukeni” International Airport, in the Nkiende II commune, 34 kilometers from Mbanza Kongo, he explained, is proceeding smoothly and ends in 18 months. security for the effective start of the works”, he added, adding that the other recommendations, such as the removal of the antennas of the media, in the Historic Center of Mbanza Kongo, have already been made.
The official opening act of the festivities, held at the Museum of the Kings of Kongo, was attended by the coordinator of the traditional authorities of Kongo, Afonso Mendes, for whom this edition should serve as a pillar for Africans to cement peace on the continent.
Activities
To celebrate the date, a musical-cultural show is held today in Mbanza Kongo, in which the musician António Muanda “Madiata” is posthumously honored, a production fair, with various products from the region, the photographic exhibition “Kongo Heritage and Memory” and a gala to distinguish everyone who contributed to the development of the province.
The activities, to be carried out by the Municipal Administration of Mbanza Kongo, also include the holding of a health fair, the seminar “Mbanza Kongo, yesterday, today and tomorrow”, and the exhibition of a documentary about the trajectory made until the recognition of the city by UNESCO.
The Government of Zaire decreed a point tolerance today, to better celebrate the ephemeris.
Current Status
The head of the Technical Office of the Participatory Management Committee of the Historic Center of Mbanza Kongo, Biluka Nsenga, said yesterday that the Executive is complying with UNESCO’s recommendations, within the framework of maintaining the status of World Heritage Site.
“The emergence of the pandemic delayed the fulfillment of the recommendations. But now the steps are being taken for the rapid execution and the return of the excavations”, he said.
Regarding the conditions for Mbanza Kongo to be a place of tourist attraction, Biluka Nsenga believes that when the region was recognized by Unesco it had worldwide visibility.
The policies for attracting tourists, he stressed, depend on everyone’s commitment, especially as Mbanza Kongo is the country’s only World Heritage Site.
Biluka Nsenga also informed that the Historic Center has been carrying out activities for greater dissemination of the city’s collection, while waiting for the construction of a specialized museum. “The remains discovered in Mbanza Kongo have been presented to the public, an act that has also been carried out in Luanda and Benguela”, he added.
The future museum, he revealed, is part of a project to be carried out by Angola, but with the involvement of the two Congos and Gabon, countries that were part of the former Kingdom of Kongo. “We have to contact them to make some pieces available for the collection of the future museum, as well as we will talk with some museums that hold pieces from the Kingdom of Kongo for the return”, he stressed.
The Capital Of Kings
The historic city of Mbanza Kongo, former political and administrative capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the most famous regions south of the Sahara, was founded in 1506 by the then King Nimi ya Lukeni.
Celebrating today, 516 years of existence and five years since its elevation to World Heritage Site, Mbanza Kongo has a very diverse cultural heritage, including the ruins of the Kulumbimbi, the Tady dya Bukikwa, the 12 water sources, the Nsungilu , the Cemetery of the Kings and the mystical Yala Nkuwo tree.
North American Consortium Supports Local Heritage
The president of the Quanten Angola Consortium – LLC, Thomas Segun, said yesterday in Mbanza Kongo, Zaire, that the company will support the process of valuing and preserving the city’s Historic Centre, considered a World Heritage Site.
The businessman, who is visiting the city of Mbanza Kongo, wants to know, from the Provincial Government, which areas they can invest in for the enhancement and preservation of the local heritage, despite the company’s main investment, the construction of a refinery, being done in Soyo.
The consortium, he explained, has a package of pre-conceived projects for the province of Zaire, in which the improvement of roads, support for local companies, the construction of a hospital specialized in the treatment of cancer and heart diseases, the creation of a broadband internet and designing US scholarships for young people.
Among the projects is also the construction of a hotel in Mbanza Kongo. “The intention is to support the tourism sector, with the support of the local government”, he clarified.
Governor Pedro Makita Júlia hopes that the initiatives are not limited only to Soyo and Mbanza Kongo and are also extended to the municipalities of Nzeto, Tomboco, Nóqui and Kuimba.
Tribute In Recognition Of Achievements
The musician Madiata was honored, yesterday, posthumously, by Nguxi dos Santos Produções, with the inauguration of a multipurpose room at the Museum of the Kings of Kongo. Alongside the room, called “Madiata”, an album was also published, with seven tracks, and a DVD about the singer’s life and work.
An expert lungoyi ngoyi player, Madiata, who sang in the Mandanda style, became one of the leading names in musical folklore in Zaire.
Afonso Mendes Diansongi, son of the honoree, said he was pleased with the tribute to his father, the only artist in the region to play lungoyi ngoyi. “Today one of his dreams happened, to have one of the songs recorded”, he said.
For the singer and kissange player, Nzenga Mambu, the tribute is a way of valuing the region’s musicians. “It’s good to see the recognition of those who contributed a lot to culture and the arts”.
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