{"id":46889,"date":"2017-03-17T18:59:58","date_gmt":"2017-03-17T23:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ethiopanorama.com\/?p=46889"},"modified":"2017-03-17T19:14:51","modified_gmt":"2017-03-18T00:14:51","slug":"ethiopia-to-honour-madiba-with-new-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ethiopanorama.com\/?p=46889","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopia to honour Madiba with new museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a017 March 2017<\/span><\/div>\n
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Siyavuya Mzantsi<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Addis Ababa – The Ethiopian government says plans are under way to declare the Ethiopian federal police, regular and vocational training centre a museum in honour of struggle icon Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n

The centre, which is now used to train police officers, provided intensive military training for Mandela when he went underground during 1961.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Aspirant Ethiopian police officers train at a facility which once hosted and provided military training for Nelson Mandela. Picture: Siyavuya Mzantsi\/Cape Times<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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During a visit at the centre, Ethiopian government officials told reporters that it was experiencing challenges in getting funding to make the centre a museum in order to preserve Madiba\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

The centre\u2019s commander, Alemu Gabreyes, said Mandela spent about three months training and holding \u201chighly secretive\u201d meetings with generals in the military.<\/p>\n

The small cottage where Nelson Mandela stayed while he was receiving military training, outside Addis Ababa. Picture: Siyavuya Mzantsi\/Cape Times<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cEven when he relaxed, he would do so only with the generals. Everything was restricted as he did not even have interaction with other military officials. Very special care was provided to Nelson Mandela when he received training here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Gabreyes said Mandela would sometimes box, shoot and exercise.<\/p>\n

Ethiopian government communications officer Daniel Mikre said the government felt it was not too late to honour Mandela.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you know there is a lot of secret information that the Ethiopian government and freedom fighters shared during those years. Making this site a museum or tourist attraction will enhance the relationship between the two countries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to the Ethiopian embassy\u2019s head of political and public diplomacy, Yohanes Altamo, the Ethiopian government had already agreed on a proposal to make the area a museum under Mandela\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Journalists gather in the small cottage which once housed Mandela and is now used as an office. Picture: Siyavuya Mzantsi\/Cape Times<\/span><\/b><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe want international visitors and locals to come here and get to know about what happened in relation to Nelson Mandela. The discussions are quite recent. In fact there is an agreement already to make this a museum.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecific times and further information will be commu-<\/p>\n

nicated. At the moment no tourist or locals are allowed to come here. The centre is only for military training purposes,\u201d said Altamo.<\/p>\n

During the visit, journalists were shown a room where Mandela held discussions and where he exercised. His bedroom has now been turned into an office.<\/p>\n

Ethiopia\u2019s ambassador to South Africa, Mulugeta Kelil, said, there must be a speedy resolution between the two countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he trained here, this place was not like this. It has changed over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201c From our side we are ready to share the costs and we are expecting the South African government to play a part during this process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethiopian communications minister Negere Lencho said: \u201cYou have come to a place where the great freedom fighter Nelson Mandela got his training. You might have read about it in the history books, but these are the stories that we should not forget. These are the stories that we need to share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cape Times<\/b><\/p>\n

Source\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 IOL<\/p>\n

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