By Imam Wali:
Director of Museums and Monuments Portipher Kaliba has said the documentation of Chongoni Rock Art Site in Dedza District will help expose Malawi’s heritage to the world and attract tourists.
He said this on Friday during a community sensitisation meeting on an on-going film project at Chongoni, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.
“Through this programme, we will document rock art sites in the Chongoni area. This will expose our rich heritage in rock art at a global scale,” Kaliba said.
He said once a heritage site gets the limelight on the international stage, chances of tourist visits are high.
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“Having tourists visit the heritage site means we will generate forex. Tourists bring forex, which we, as a country, long for. They pay local guides, which puts money directly into these communities,” Kaliba said.
He said a new information centre at Chongoni Rock Site would host exhibitions showcasing the area’s cultural treasures.
“This information centre will give young people the platform to showcase their artworks and, in turn, help generate funds,” Kaliba said.
Global Digital Heritage President Herbert Maschner said the Chongoni documentary would boost education, publicity and preservation.
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“Many of these paintings were done by women and men who lived here as part of their ceremonies. It is exciting for us to see this,” Maschner said.
He said Global Digital Heritage specialises in video games and that they found Chongoni not only interesting but useful for preservation, education and global publicity, hence embarking on a documentary pertaining to it.
The team will use laser scanning, drones, and video to document the site.
Group Village Headman Chiphazi said production of Akafula prints had already attracted more tourists.
“I urge young people to protect rock art so that the paintings survive for future generations,” Chiphazi said.
