By Correspondent
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Museum is a monument at Number 17 Aberdeen Road in Matsheumhlophe Bulawayo.
The monument is the house of late Vice President of Zimbabwe and nationalist Joshua Nkomo.
The house was converted into a museum by Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo National Foundation (JMNNF).
A gallery was set up in his honour and to tell the story of one of the country’s illustrious icons.
Dr Nkomo’s residence was converted into a museum and opened to the public at the end of January in 2012.
In 2018 Bulawayo Council agreed to a request by the Nkomo family to exempt his former house from paying rates.
Ten rooms of the previous main house make up the museum.
Nkomo Memorabilia
The museum also has the late Father Zimbabwe’s navy blue bullet-proof Mercedes Benz.
Inside the house are portraits, newspaper cuttings, photographs, clothes, tools and kitchen utensils.
Also included is movable household property that belonged to Nkomo and his late wife Joana “MaFuyana” Nkomo.
There is also a love letter that Dr Nkomo wrote to MaFuyana on 2 February 1977.
In it he tells her that he bought her a car as a present for their 23rd wedding anniversary.
Dr Nkomo’s academic awards and regalia, his library, his rifles that he used during the war and his clothes among other things are also displayed.
Pictures of Dr Nkomo with the likes of former President Mugabe and top Zipra commanders during the liberation struggle are also there.
The place is frequented mainly by schoolchildren coming for educational tours.
A lack of awareness and the requisite touring culture has meant that very few of the country’s adult citizens visit the place.
Authorities say they have around 5000-6000 visitors per year mainly from schools.
Highfields House
4510 Highfields is in Harare is another house that the late Nkomo used to live in.
Unlike the Bulawayo house this one hasn’t been turned into a museum.
Instead, it now houses many families some who lease rooms there.
The 11-roomed house has two sets of bathrooms and staff quarters.
Inside the house hangs a giant portrait of the late Dr Nkomo.
Additionally, a built-in cabinet and a wall mirror that were used by Umdala Wethu are also present in the main bedroom.
An old phone connector/exchange is still mounted to the wall of a small pantry next to the main lounge that Dr Nkomo used to hold meetings with his visitors.
The house initially belonged to the late Solomon Tawengwa and was sold to businessmen Toad Kanyere.
The Kanyeres agreed to lease the house to Dr Nkomo at Independence.
Dr Nkomo lived here until 1987.
