The Department of Antiquities in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) has called upon the members of the community in their respective areas to do their utmost to ensure that all monuments are preserved and protected.
While highlighting the improvements to several monuments in the country, the Assistant Director of Department of Antiquities Dr. Fabian Kigadye, said that the department has its vision of sustainable conservation of natural and cultural resources and the development of responsible tourism.
He noted that currently there is a little awareness from citizens on the importance of monument and cultural resources preservation and management across the country.
Dr. Kigadye made the statement yesterday besides the department of antiquities leadership and stakeholders meeting of held in Iringa Region.
The meeting was aimed at discussing the plans of promoting monument sites and also how to incorporate stakeholders in the preservation, management and promoting of antiquities, hence tourism growth.
Dr. Kigadye said community must understand the importance of monument resources and appreciate the history which it symbolizes.
He noted that there were about 1000 monuments across the country according to the invetory but only 130 monument sites were managed and 18 sites were under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
He added that other monuments were preserved and managed by different agencies including government institutions and private sector.
However, the department of antiquities in the country face many challenges including poor infrastructures like water, electricity and roads leading to the monuments and cultural heritage sites.
Dr. Kagadye mentioned other problem that the department was facing including low level of consciousness to preserve and manage monuments because the community thought it is the duty of the government.
“If we don’t have that kind of national consciousness, then I am afraid that a lot of our monuments will be continuously defaced,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iringa Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Wamoja Ayub who was the guest of honour during the stakeholders consultative meeting in held in Iringa region said they there need to preserve cultural heritage sites.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss together, plans to develop the agenda for the purpose of improving and utilizing the tourism.
Ayub who represented by Majuto Njanga, the Assistant RAS said that Iringa Region being a stakeholder of antiquities through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism in collaboration with University of Iringa (UOI) through ‘Fahari Yetu’ project has restored Boma historical building (Iringa Regional Museum ) and Kitanzini Monument.
She said restoration of Boma (Germany old building) which was built in 1900 and become the Iringa Regional Museum and has stimulated public awareness and tourism growth and increased employment opportunities and investments to the Iringa community.
On his part, Assistant Project Manager Jimson Sanga of ‘Fahari Yetu’ project who has been Lecturer in Cultural Anthropology and Tourism at the University of Iringa since 2011, said in order to preserve antiquity for tourism promotion there should be strategic actions which can turn cultural assets into tourism products.
He said that among these strategies include but not limited to; conservation, management and promotion of cultural heritage resources.
Sanga pointed out that the University of Iringa through the ‘Fahari Yetu’ project has renovated the German Boma which was built in 1900 and made it a museum of the Iringa region and the cultural center.
The University of Iringa (UoI) is a private university under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania is implementing ‘Fahari Yetu’ project which is seen as a southern highlands cultural solutions. By Friday Simbaya, Iringa
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