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ZIMBABWEANS yesterday paid tribute to the country’s gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives to liberate the country as they commemorated the Heroes Day. Today citizens are again paying tribute to the men and women who continue to guard jealously the country’s territorial integrity as they commemorate the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day.

There were gatherings at the different Heroes Acres throughout the country and the main commemorations were at the National Heroes Acre in Harare where President Mnangagwa presided.

The nation paid homage to the country’s heroes and heroines who paid with their lives to liberate the country. Today and yesterday should be a time for the nation to reflect on the country’s achievements and failures since Independence in 1980.

President Mnangagwa

One of the biggest achievements that we look back with pride is the successful implementation of the land reform programme. More than 300 000 families are now owners of land in areas that include what used to be a preserve of the white commercial farmers.

Most Zimbabweans before independence were confined to barren land while white commercial farmers occupied prime farming areas in different parts of the country. The skewed land ownership was one of the major grievances that drove Zimbabweans to take up arms to fight the settler regime.

land ownership

The Government soon after independence embarked on a programme to resettle thousands of landless Zimbabweans but the process was moving at a snail’s pace due to resistance from white farmers.

In 2000 the landless Zimbabweans invaded farms owned by white commercial farmers to protest against the slow pace at which they were being resettled thereby prompting Government to embark on a fast-track land resettlement programme.

This has seen about 300 000 families being resettled throughout the country and what is encouraging is that most of these new farmers have demonstrated that they have the capacity to fully utilise the land.

The gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed with their lives to get the land back to its rightful owners should be smiling in their graves.

The challenge as President Mnangagwa has repeatedly said, is to continue improving productivity so that Zimbabwe regains its status of being the region’s breadbasket.

At the weekend, President Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to be champions of peace and productivity.

Zion Christian Church

President Mnangagwa who was addressing members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) at Defe in Gokwe South district, urged the people to remain united saying the challenges bedevilling the country can only be overcome if people work as a collective.

President Mnangagwa and First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa at Defe Dopota in Gokwe South for the Zion Christian Church

The country is under siege from both internal and external detractors that are peddling falsehoods to destabilise the peace and tranquility that citizens are enjoying hence the need for citizens to heed

President Mnangagwa’s call peace and unity.