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Walter Mswazie, Features Correspondent
The business community in Masvingo Province is mobilising resources to revive the Dr Mzee Bira, a musical festival, in honour of the late Vice President Simon Muzenda.

The annual musical gala, ended a few years ago due to financial and logistical problems.

The popular musical galas were used to celebrate the lives of the departed nationalists such as the late Vice Presidents Dr Joshua Nkomo and Dr Muzenda.

People from all walks of life used to enjoy the galas that became popular in the country and acted as a rallying point for galvanising the patriotic spirit.

Dr Muzenda died on September 20, 2003 at the age of 80.

His wife, Mbuya Maud died on August 23 this year at the Avenues Clinic. She was 88.

Masingati Group of Companies director Mr Casper Shumba said musical galas were the best way to “appease” the fallen heroes’ spirits.

“Zimbabweans should not have abandoned that culture in the first place. We greatly support the holding of musical galas to remember our heroes.

“Even at church they hold memorial services for their loved ones who would have passed on and as a country or province we should keep on doing this.

“The cultural galas were critical and brought people together to celebrate our national heroes.”

Shumba said the late Dr Muzenda was a great man in Masvingo and Zimbabwe at large whose legacy must be commemorated every year.

Chivi businessman Mr John Hungoidza echoed the same sentiments saying the late Dr Muzenda played a pivotal role in liberating Zimbabwe.

“If my memory serves me well, something happened in memory of the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo in Matabeleland North last year. It was a gala of some sort. That is marvelous because the province was celebrating the life of their icon,” he said.

“It is against this background that we should also celebrate the life of our nationalist in the person of the late Dr Muzenda. We last had such galas in 2013 when the Mzee Bira was held at Mucheke Stadium. We should keep on doing such good works. He was a great man in the province and country at large.”

Housing developer and for Chivi Central constituency MP, Cde Ephraim Gwanongodza, said resources could easily be mobilised towards such events as they have a meaning to the cause of independence in the country.

“We are prepared as a business community to contribute towards such a worthy cause. That can also be an opportunity for us to give back to the community. What is only needed is to be organised,” he said.

“We have the capacity to hold musical galas of a national magnitude here in Masvingo and I urge my province to take such things seriously so that we revive such events which also promote unity.”