Zimpapers Logo

Mukudzei Chingwere, Harare Bureau
VICE President Kembo Mohadi yesterday presented a book to the Museum of Africa Liberation that details the incarceration of nationalists by the Smith regime during the liberation struggle.

The book is titled, Ian Smith’s Hostages: Political Prisoners in Rhodesia.

It was published by the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa on January 1, 1976.

VP Mohadi’s contribution follows last week’s ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Museum of African Liberation in Harare aimed at documenting the liberation of the continent.

President Mnangagwa officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony.

A liberation war icon and retired Army Colonel himself, VP Mohadi, answered the call to contribute material towards the documentation of African liberation history.

Political persecution was used as a tool by settlers to deter the liberation movement, and VP Mohadi said the book he presented recounts the imprisonment and torture of political prisoners under the Smith regime.

“This book recounts the incarceration, imprisonment and torture of political prisoners under the Ian Smith regime.

“All political prisoners that have at one time faced the wrath of hostage and torture under the Ian Smith regime, including myself are listed in this compendium.

“The book accounts for the tragedy of imprisonment and detention during the Smith regime,” said VP Mohadi.

The book is distributed in over 10 international libraries that are linked to international defence and military academies.

It further accounts the missing persons and deaths in every detailed manner and can therefore, be used as a census of who was incarcerated under the Smith regime, said VP Mohadi.

Last week, President Mnangagwa received liberation artefacts for several freedom icons to be kept in the museum as souvenirs, including of the late ZANLA military commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara.

The other artefacts received by President Mnangagwa are those of late former Vice Presidents Simon Muzenda and Joseph Msika as well as Leopold Takawira, among others.

Others who took part in the war of liberation are expected to contribute to the museum.

The museum’s head of secretariat, Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi thanked the Vice President for sharing the information, which he said will go a long in the compilation of the important artefacts.

He noted that some of the people who saw active combat are now dead, but said living informants will make the compilation of African history a reality.