Africa-Press – Angola. Historian David João Buba considered, this Sunday, in Ndalatando, Cuanza-Norte, important to have a museum in the province, to preserve, enhance and disseminate more all the historical collection registered in the region, especially to the younger generations.
For the historian, much of the historical collection is already recorded in brochures and books, as well as photographs, paintings and handicrafts that could be used as a basis for building a future.
Cuanza-Norte, he recalled, had the old colonial chamber in Dondo and in Golungo-Alto the well-known Casa Capelo, where documents on the history and social and economic life of the peoples of these regions were kept. “Much of this collection was lost during the period of war that the country lived between the years 1991 to 2002. Until today, very little has been recovered”, he lamented.
Some essential documents, he pointed out, about the arrival of the Portuguese in the country, the establishment of the iron foundry factories in Nova Oeiras, the production of cotton, or the construction of the fortress in 1604, can still be recovered for posterity.
As director of Culture at the provincial level, David João Buba believes that one of the places to be transformed into a museum could be the former resting place of the first President of Angola, António Agostinho Neto, in Quilombo, located south of Ndalatando.
“We already had a project prepared and presented to the Provincial Government, which in turn kept in touch with the ministry responsible for it. For this, the residence would have to be rehabilitated without deviating from the original architectural standards, furnished and open to the public, but unfortunately the project did not crease for unknown reasons”, he said.
History professor António Dala considers not only the creation of a museum to be fundamental, but also the revaluation of the entire Historical and Archaeological Heritage of Cuanza-Norte. “It would be one of the greatest achievements regarding the materialization of the Executive’s policy in favor of the study, defense and promotion of the national heritage”, he defended.
For the teacher, the country has a wide range of historical and cultural heritage and Cuanza-Norte stands out among many, as it is one of the oldest and most significant constructions from the time when the Portuguese began their campaigns of exploration and territorial conquests in the country.
The history of the Kwanza corridor, he praised, needs to be better publicized, as the main axis for the penetration of the Portuguese into the interior of Angola, in the 16th and 17th centuries. At the time, he continued, fortified bases were built. “It is in these urban centers that the great forts, churches and other buildings of civil architecture were built, many of which are now classified as national historic monuments.
The head of the Department of Cultural Action, of the Provincial Office of Culture, Tourism and Sport of Cuanza-Norte, Olímpio Ramiro Marques, added that the province currently has 20 monuments recognized by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, eight of which are in the municipality of Cambambe.
In Massangano, he pointed out, the fortress and residential area of the Cambambe dam, the churches of Nossa Senhora do Rosário and Vitória, built in the 16th century, the ruins of the courthouse and the Royal Iron Factory of Nova Oeiras, as well as Cruzeiro and the house “Casa dos Bentes”. “All these places already face the drama of destruction on the one hand, caused by the passage of time. Therefore, the writings about these places deserve to be well kept and preserved in a museum”.
The church of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias, northwest of Dondo, he said, is currently being recovered, under the aegis of the Catholic mission, as part of an agreement signed in 2010. “The monuments of Massangano already have identification plates, only those located in the municipalities in the north of the province”.
The head of the Department of Cultural Action considers this process a task, not only for the authorities, but for the entire population, as it represents the enhancement of the province’s cultural mosaic. “All Angolans, in particular those born in the province, should participate more in the preservation and enhancement of the historical heritage”, he added.
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