The ManicaPost
FOR every country, peace and stability are critical as they are the foundation for national harmony and growth.
Without those two elements, the country is wont to violence along political and ethnic lines, with investors shunning the destination.
This is why we cherish the contributions of our heroes and heroines who sacrificed all they had to see a peaceful and liberated Zimbabwe.
The country’s Defence Forces then took over the role of ensuring national peace and stability at the dawn of independence and have been playing the role ever since then.
This year, our fallen and living heroes will be commemorated on Monday, the 8th of August, while the Zimbabwe Defence Forces — that is the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe – will be honoured on the following day.
The main ceremonies to mark the two days will be held at the National Heroes’ Acre and the National Sports Stadium in Harare respectively.
Multitudes typically converge there to honour those who dedicated their lives to the country’s struggle for independence.
In the provinces, thousands will converge at the provincial and district centres nationwide to honour the sacrifices made by the heroes and heroines who sacrificed themselves to liberate the country from colonial bondage, as well as those who continue to do so.
Over the past two years, celebrations have been done virtually as Covid-19 took its toll. Now that the tide is subsiding, this year will see the traditional festivities resuming.
The people in Manicaland will converge at the Provincial Heroes’ Acre on Monday, before they come together again on Tuesday for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare.
The struggle for independence – the First and Second Chimurenga – seek to end minority rule, guarantee democracy and guarantee equal access to land and other economic resources.
During these conflicts, thousands perished.
Some of the soldiers from the revolution are buried at the National Heroes’ Acre, while others are interred at the provincial Heroes Shrines.
For a section that was not so lucky, their remains are still scattered in various mass graves and abandoned mine shafts across the country.
The best way to honour these fallen heroes is through giving them proper burials.
It is encouraging to note that efforts are being made to ensure that decent burials are accorded to these daughters and sons of the soil.
It is the least we can do for them considering the sacrifices they made.
We are, however, also lucky that we still have heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle who are still walking on the face of the earth.
While these brave characters survived the brutality of the gun, they sacrificed their youth and forego their education to get the job done.
Some even lost their limbs in the quest to liberate Zimbabwe.
Sadly, we are repaying these heroes through self-hate that sees some in our midst speaking ill of our beautiful nation.
We are repaying them through corruption and looting of national resources at the expense of national development.
It is crucial that we revisit what drove the liberation war heroes to rise up against the settler regime.
It was for the purposes of reclaiming our land and ensuring that every Zimbabwean has access to the means of production.
It was for the purposes of ensuring that we have a peaceful nation, with the Zimbabwean populace freely accessing health care services and education.
As we celebrate the Heroes and Defence Forces Days next week, it is crucial that all political and tribal hats are removed.
We are Zimbabweans first before we are Zanu PF, MDC, CCC, Ndau, Ndebele, Shona, Kalanga, etcetera.
Our history should be the glue that binds us together such that no external force can tear us apart.
If the heroes and heroines from the nationalist movements that liberated this country managed to put their differences aside and joined hands to end minority rule, nothing should stop us from coming together to build the Zimbabwe that we all want — a nation with an upper middle income economy.
