Declaration of National Monument Somerby-Stonehurst Monument

The Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, acting under section 20 of the National Museums and Monuments Act [Chapter 25:11], has declared the Somerby-Stonehurst Monument a National Monument.

The site lies in Zvimba Rural District Council under Chief Zvimba, roughly 35km west of Harare along the Harare-Bulawayo highway, on 1:50 000 map sheet 1730 D4. The notice defines it by a five-sided polygon running from point A north-easterly 5 106m to B, north-easterly 3 032m to C, westerly 5 283m to D, south-westerly 1 586m to E, and southerly 2 363m back to A — a substantial block of land rather than a single structure.

Declaration means the ordinary National Museums and Monuments Act controls apply: alteration, excavation, damage or development on the site needs the approval of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe. The notice itself sets no fees and creates no new offence — the consequences flow from the Act.

No commencement date is stated; the notice was gazetted on 26 July 2024. Two printing points: the running header reads 'S.I. 133 of 2024' though the instrument is 134 of 2024, and the point A grid reference is printed as 'UTM36K 67147,8025124', which appears to be missing a digit against the six-figure eastings used for the other points. Anyone needing the exact boundary should work from the surveyed map sheet rather than the gazette text.