Uncovering Zimbabwe’s Silent Witnesses: An Exhibition Champions Forgotten Histories
Harare’s bustling Robert Mugabe Road, once known as Manica Road, is lined with weathered buildings that echo European architectural styles. While many passersby may acknowledge their presence, their deeper historical significance often goes unnoticed. A recent photography exhibition, spearheaded by photographer Darius Matamba and curated by his former college peer Rodney Badza, aimed to bring these silent witnesses of history into the spotlight, highlighting their invaluable historical and cultural importance.
Matamba articulated the driving force behind the project: “These old structures hold decades of our history, but they are just disappearing quietly. There’s no documentation, no conversation… I thought someone needed to tell these stories in our own voices and on our own terms.” This sentiment was echoed by Badza, who warned in his curatorial statement, “As these buildings succumb to the passage of time and the weight of neglect, we face a ‘cultural amnesia’ that threatens to erase the very foundations of our national identity.”
The exhibition, titled ‘Silent Walls – Uncovering The Silent Witnesses Of History,’ was presented at the Autoworld showroom in Chisipite. Organizers stated this was the first in a series of exhibitions planned to tour the country. The project was commissioned by the Shepherds Foundation Trust, with the overarching goal of producing a comprehensive book and establishing a definitive archive dedicated to these historical structures.
The opening of the exhibition was graced by Jonathan Waters, a historian and author of ‘Harare: Urban Evolution’ (2015), who served as the guest of honour. The venue itself, a former fabric library, provided a fitting backdrop for the showcase, which featured twenty compelling photographs. Twelve of these captured buildings from Harare, while the remaining eight focused on architectural gems from Bulawayo.
Among the showcased structures, Bulawayo’s Haddon and Sly, dating back to 1894, stood as the oldest building featured. From Harare, the oldest participant was The Residence (1895), a significant landmark holding the distinction of being the first double-story brick house built in the region. Other notable old buildings on display included the elegant Cecil House (1901) from Harare and the imposing Bulawayo Club (1934). Feredays & Sons (1910), situated on Robert Mugabe Road, with its persistent ‘Guns and ammunition’ signage from the Rhodesian era, served as a stark reminder of a particular historical period.
A significant portion of the exhibition, fourteen photographs, represented the era when the country was under the administration of the British South Africa Company, prior to its renaming as Southern Rhodesia in 1923.
The Dual Narratives of Colonial Architecture
Colonial buildings in Zimbabwe are, in essence, imbued with the psychological architecture of their time. For some, particularly within the white community, these structures can evoke a sense of nostalgia for the past, often accompanied by recollections that frame the country’s subsequent development in a negative light, with pronouncements such as “Robert Mugabe ruined the country.” One can easily conjure images of white colonial ladies, parasols in hand, conversing across the expanse of what was then Manica Road.
However, the narrative these walls hold is far more complex and often painful. If they could speak, they would also recount stories of exclusion, abuse, and systemic violence perpetrated against indigenous people. During specific historical periods, Africans were denied entry to these spaces without justification or explicit permission. In some instances, when these buildings were first utilized, Black individuals were relegated to using the back entrances.
These old buildings, with their ornate facades, are perhaps best appreciated from a distance. Originally constructed as integral components of colonial towns, they now form part of the central business districts in Harare, Bulawayo, and other Zimbabwean cities. Their preservation is a complex issue, with the most significant structures protected under the National Museums and Monuments Act. It is also argued that the slow pace of real-estate development in an economically challenged nation has, paradoxically, contributed to the survival of some of these edifices.
A modern structure like Atlas House, standing tall between Arnold Building and Union Buildings (both erected in 1910), serves as a visual marker of the passage of time and the evolution of urban landscapes.
A Post-Colonial Perspective on Heritage
For Darius Matamba and Rodney Badza, who were born after Zimbabwe gained independence from British settler colonial rule, these buildings do not carry the burden of personal memory. This detachment allows for an unadulterated curiosity, fueling their drive to re-examine and re-tell stories that have been incompletely documented or understood.
This objective perspective offers them a distinct advantage. Unlike older generations who might grapple with the emotional paradox of viewing colonial buildings as symbols of oppression and dispossession, Matamba and Badza can approach the subject with a degree of detachment. For them, these buildings are not solely testaments to craftsmanship and European aesthetics, but also enduring evidence of a historical period marked by profound injustice.
It is crucial to remember that prior to the arrival of British colonists, the area now known as Harare was inhabited by the Neharawa people under Chief Haarare, while Bulawayo was the heartland of the Ndebele under King Lobengula.
Matamba’s project, through its photographic exploration and future archival efforts, creates a vital space for Zimbabwe’s post-colonial generations. These are the individuals actively shaping the nation’s future, and this initiative offers them an opportunity to critically engage with the legacy of colonial conquest. By confronting and understanding this past, it may empower his generation to forge their own identities, free from the unconscious influence of a system that deeply traumatized previous generations.
