National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Tourism charged with the responsibility of conserving Zambia’s natural and cultural heritage for research, sustainable tourism development, education and enjoyment of all the people now in the future. 

The NHCC is the name for what until 29th December 1989 was known as the Commission for the preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments (National Monuments Commission), a national organization entrusted with the conservation of Zambia’s natural and cultural heritage. Together with its antecedents, the Commission Act has been in existence since 1912 when Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) came into being.

• 1912 Bushman’s Relics Proclamation No. 15. This Act protected Bushmen relics. Aboriginal objects and ancient ruins

• 1930 Preservation of Archaeological Objects Ordinance number 5 later CAP 146 of the Laws of Zambia mainly for the protection of archaeological objects. This introduced a provision for declaration of ‘reserve areas’. It also prohibited removal, excavation or mining which threatened to destroy objects of archaeological and paleontological interest. It also protected from disturbance or destruction all caves, buildings, or graves of archaeological or paleontological interest. Mining and prospecting interest, however, took precedence.

• 1947 Ancient Monuments Ordinance number 36 renamed Natural and Historical Monuments and Relics CAP 90 in 1952, later CAP 266, which protected all pre-1890 historical, archaeological or cultural sites, objects and structures. Mining still took precedence. It also introduced in the 1952 Ordinance a provision for declaring National Monuments and the protection of natural sites. Altogether 74 national Monuments were declared by the time of its repeal in 1989.

• 1989 December 29th National Heritage Conservation Commission Act CAP 173 was enacted. This Act brought forward the automatic protection of all Heritage from 1st January 1924. Whereas 1890 signified the white pioneer column into Rhodesia, 1924 was the first British Government direct rule of Northern Rhodesia. This Act introduced new technologies of “heritage” instead of “Monument”. It also introduced stiffer penalties for violation of the Act and for the first time a provision for the payment of impact assessment costs by developers whose projects impact upon heritage was introduced.

• In 1997 NHCC decentralized its operations to the creation of four cost centres namely East-Central Region, Southwest Region, Northwest Region and Northern Region with their respective Regional Head-offices in Lusaka, Livingstone, Solwezi and Kasama. The four regions are strategically located to ensure effective and efficient heritage conservation by cost effective management and implementation of conservation programmes, full geographical coverage and increased documentation and management in each.