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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

THE Bulawayo Provincial Heroes Acre in Nkulumane has been a hive of activity in the last few days as families of liberation war heroes stepped up preparations for Heroes Day commemorations to be held across the country today.

Speaking to Chronicle, the families said Heroes Day is important on the national calendar as it reminds them of those who sacrificed their lives to liberate the country.

President Mnangagwa will preside over the main commemorations to be held at the National Heroes Acre in Harare with Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ministers presiding at the provincial events.

It has become a tradition that families of the departed heroes visit various heroes’ shrines ahead of the Heroes Day commemorations where they spruce up graves of their loved ones.

This has been the case for Mrs Nkululeko Mlotshwa, a widow to Cde Joris Linda Mlotshwa, who has constantly maintained her late husband’s grave.

Mrs Mlotshwa, who also participated in the armed struggle, said she remembers Cde Mlotshwa with pride considering the role he played in liberating the country.

“I remember him, especially considering that he is a liberation war fighter. Being buried here is an honour. I know all the sacrifices that he made as I am also a war veteran although we met when we had returned home,” she said.

Mrs Mlotshwa expressed gratitude to the Government for honouring former freedom fighters through paying pensions for them while also paying for the children’s education.

She said she has two tertiary graduates at home thanks to the Government’s dedication to payment of fees to children of the former freedom fighters.

“One of my children recently graduated from Rhodes University as she benefited from the Government scholarship. My eldest child also completed studies at Bulawayo Polytechnic College and it was the Government paying the fees until the completion of studies,” said Mrs Mlotshwa.

“I don’t think I was going to be able to send my children up to tertiary level without the intervention from the Government.”
Ms Philile Ncube said she came from a family of liberation war fighters, where her mother, father and uncle participated in the armed struggle and were all buried at the provincial shrine in Nkulumane.

Her family members were seen erecting a tombstone for their mother Cde Maingeni Martha Chitambo who died in 2002.

“This is my mother who lies buried here, she was a war veteran. It’s important to remember them as they fought for the country’s liberation and the freedom that we have today.

“Maybe without their contribution some of us wouldn’t be born. In our family I think we are privileged. It’s not just my mother but my father as well as my uncle and they are all buried here,” said Ms Ncube.

“So, in my family we have three people who joined the armed struggle. We feel honoured that they fought for our freedom and to have them buried here at the Provincial Heroes Acre in Nkulumane means a lot for us.”

She expressed concern over the slow pace in which the Government was rolling out tombstones for the departed heroes.

“Government had promised to install a tombstone on my mother’s grave, she died in 2002 and as family we have decided to do it ourselves and it becomes a family burden and it’s expensive,” said Ms Ncube.

A Chronicle news crew also learnt that the Government was gradually erecting tombstones of the deceased freedom fighters and 25 families being provided tombstones this year.

For Ms Sandra Ndebele whose aunt Cde Patricia Mlalazi died in 2019, sprucing up the grave was also spiritual for her.

“I had not been able to come and spruce up her grave since she died. So, this has been eating me up. Last year I also missed the day of sprucing up the grave so this year I told myself I wouldn’t miss it,” said Ms Ndebele.

She said Heroes Day is an important day in the country’s calendar as it is a reminder to the nation for the role the veterans played in liberating the country.

Some builders also cashed in on the sprucing up of graves at the shrine after some families hired them to fix the graves, installing tombstones.

Mr Charles Mpinda, said liberation war heroes need to be respected as they created a platform for Zimbabweans to express themselves.

“We have been employed by some of the families who received tombstones from the Government to mount them. If it was not because of independence we wouldn’t be doing what we are doing,” he said.

“I also want to thank the Government for providing some of the tombstones to the families here who have hired us to mount them.”

-@nqotshili