The ManicaPost
ON Monday during Heroes’ Day commemorations, Zimbabwe achieved a milestone when it, for the first time, celebrated and honoured its living heroes and heroines.
In a paradigm shift that touched many hearts, the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa, proved that as a nation Zimbabwe can honour its best while they are still alive than to wait and express a veritable avalanche of accolades when they are dead and buried.
We owe our very existence to the fact that individuals answered the calling of their time, put the good of others ahead of their own self-interests, pulled together, and did what they could to overcome national challenges.
While some may not know every citizen’s life story, we can be certain that there are many such heroes among us, and we must appreciate them.
Who is a hero, and why is it that currently heroes and heroines are only known after their death?
A hero is a person, typically man or woman, admired for his or her courage or outstanding achievements.
It is against this background that we applaud President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for honouring the courageous and outstanding achievements of these personalities while they are still in our midst.
These are the men and women who have exuded the best, not only in terms of a high mark of goodness that we will not surpass, but rather a quality of character that will endure and strengthen as things unfold.
They have gone far beyond what was or could have been expected in contributing to the quality of life in our nation.
These are men and women who acted on their vision, and pulled many others along with them changing the way they thought and acted. Why honour such champions?
So many are the reasons to honour them. Besides the obvious, because they deserve it, this creates an example for the rest of the nation to emulate.
It emphasises that national service is important, and it may inspire others to take it seriously and even become champions themselves.
This also provides an occasion to highlight and explain national issues.
The honouring of such outstanding achievements also demonstrates that even one person can be an effective agent for change while making the recipients, and those following their footsteps to feel that they and their work are valued and appreciated.
This also shows the nation who its real heroes and heroines are — for if a hero or heroine is someone who strives mightily and selflessly toward a goal that benefits many, rather than himself, the nation certainly fits the description better than the sports figures, entertainers, and business personalities who so often are seen as heroes.
And lastly, honouring the best among us can help prepare the nation for future initiatives — it accentuates the need for ongoing work, and for genuine heroes.
If this is practiced on a regular basis – annually — it keeps people thinking about national service all the time, compelling them to consider what is going on in the country and who is doing the work that deserves the award.
It plants the notion that everyone should be more involved in the nation as well.
We uphold this new culture of celebrating the best among us.
We celebrate our real-life heroes.
We salute them for continuously prioritising what binds Zimbabwe together.
Such efforts must neither be overlooked nor forgotten.
