Browsing by Author "Lusaka, Mwayi"

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    Culture, History and Politics in Malawi: The Production of National Heritage, 1964-2009
    (University of the Western Cape, 2019) Lusaka, Mwayi; Witz, Leslie
    This thesis is essentially about how Malawi�s national heritage was constituted, in particular how heritage emerged and how it has changed over time. It largely looks at the period from 1964 to 2009. This is significant period which covers the transition from colonialism to independence; dictatorship and the emergence of multiparty democracy. The study explores the changing governments during this period in relation to how knowledge about Malawi�s pasts were constructed and reconstructed as heritage using different cultural forms: national museums, ethnic festivals, cultural performances, national language, commemorations and memorials (monuments, commemorative days and biographical memory) and the framing of traditions and customs into what is referred to as intangible cultural heritage. The overarching question of the research is what changes were made to national heritage in relation to the changing of governments during this period? In response to this question multiple historical modes of inquiry were used to study and examine the production of different aspects of heritage during this period.
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    Memory, oral history and conservation at Robben Island's Bluestone Quarry
    (Taylor & Francis, 2017) Lusaka, Mwayi
    This article is a critical examination of a conservation project on the restoration of the Stone Wall at Bluestone Quarry on Robben Island, a world heritage site. The project attracted different stakeholders with diverse interests. The Stone Wall was originally built by political prisoners in the early 1960s as part of their hard labour. During the course of the project, issues relating to the authenticity of the Stone Wall arose which pointed to a conflict between cultural heritage and natural heritage on the site. The article focuses on the role of oral history as an approach to conservation and heritage management during the restoration project of the Stone Wall. It thus brings into the spotlight the role of memory-making in the conservation of historical fabric as well as the creation of cultural heritage. The central argument the article seeks to advance is that oral history and memory work helped to identify the appropriate design for the Stone Wall and thus improved the conservation of a significant historical site. Moreover, the memories of the ex-prisoners further enhanced the understanding and appreciation of symbolic meanings of suffering and triumph that the site embodies.