The Minister of Tourism Walter Mzembi made the disclosures yesterday at a cocktail party hosted for exhibitors for this year's Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism fair.
Some of the houses set to be developed into national monuments include that of he late vice president Joshua Nkomo, Hebert Chitepo, Leopold Takawira, Josiah Chinamano, Enos Nkala, among others in Highfield.
"Following the adoption by cabinet of the National Tourism Policy, which highlights Township Tourism and enshrinement of the liberation struggle, it is the Ministry's intention, through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to raise the status of these houses to national monuments," said Mzembi.
Mzembi said that Highfield was the "hotbed of nascent Zimbabwean nationalism" adding that his Ministry saw it necessary to develop homes which housed early nationalists and provided meeting venues into national monuments.
He said:"It is really fitting that the houses that housed the early nationalists and provided meeting venues during that period be enshrined and be equipped with print and electronic histories of that early history of our nation for posterity's sake."
He said in line with this, his Ministry would present a budget proposal to Cabinet to be included in the 2013 national budget.
Mzembi said his Ministry was taking a leaf from South Africa where houses that housed early ANC leaders in Soweto have since been upgraded into national monuments.
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