Vice President Mohadi pours his heart out for unsung liberation struggle heroes

Mashudu Netsianda, Deputy National EditorZIMBABWEANS must take pride to honour and remember all heroes of the country’s liberation struggle, including those buried in unmarked graves in foreign lands as the nation prepares to commemorate Heroes Day next week, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.In a brief interview on the sidelines of the commissioning of 37 houses for Nsungwale Village flood victims in Binga last week, VP Mohadi said Heroes Day should not only celebrate those interred at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare, but also the countless others whose final resting places remain unknown.“We are commemorating our heroes this month and as always, we are reflecting back on the contributions that those heroes made to the liberation struggle that led to our independence Some of them are not lying at the National Heroes’ Acre, but elsewhere,” he said.“Some are lying in unmarked graves in foreign lands, but on that particular day, we will be thinking of them and their contributions that led to the liberation of Zimbabwe.”Heroes Day, observed on the second Monday of August each year, is one of Zimbabwe’s most significant national events It pays tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives during the country’s protracted liberation war, which culminated in independence in 1980 after years of armed struggle against colonial rule.The National Heroes’ Acre, a shrine built in Harare after independence, is the burial place of the country’s most distinguished heroes However, thousands of freedom fighters were buried in rural graves, mass graves or in foreign territories, particularly in neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Mozambique, where many operated from during the war.VP Mohadi stressed that the nation’s collective memory should extend beyond official memorial sites, acknowledging the bravery of every individual who played a role in dismantling colonial oppression.“As we gather on that day, we must recommit ourselves to preserving the ideals they fought for, which is unity, sovereignty and self-determination,” he said.A KGB-trained Zipra cadre, VP Mohadi endured months of torture at the hands of Rhodesian security agents following his arrest in Bulawayo in 1975.Captured near the High Court building in a set-up, he faced heavily armed Rhodesian forces while he was only armed with a Makarov pistol and his Soviet Union military training.He was convicted of distributing arms in then-Rhodesia and sentenced to 15 years in prison at the age of 25.Prison records show he became inmate number 73/75 at Khami Prison, where he was held alongside President Mnangagwa, who occupied a nearby cell.Before Khami, he was transferred between detention facilities and subjected to brutal interrogation methods, including electric shocks and suffocation, as authorities tried to extract military intelligence.Last month, VP Mohadi retraced the steps of his painful past when he visited Khami Prison, the site of his incarceration during the country’s liberation struggle.VP Mohadi narrowly escaped a death sentence after a fellow fighter who had been caught with arms in Gweru convinced the Rhodesian authorities that he had defected.The man received a suspended sentence while VP Mohadi was handed down a decade-and-a-half in prison

Heroes Day will be followed by Defence Forces Day, which celebrates the role of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in safeguarding the country’s independence and territorial integrity.VP Mohadi also paid tribute to the late Vice-Pres­id­ent Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyon­golo Nkomo and urged the nation to cher­ish the val­ues of unity, free­dom and peace that he strived and stood for.Dr Nkomo, one of the pioneers of the country’s Second Umvukela/Chimurenga, succumbed to can­cer on July 1, 1999, at the age of 82, and was interred at the National Her­oes’ Acre in Har­are.The fearless freedom fighter’s demise plunged the entire nation into mourning, yet vivid memories of his love for the people and his sacrifice for unity and peace still linger.Affectionately known as Father Zimbabwe for his role in pioneering the liberation struggle, Dr Nkomo was a rare breed of freedom fighters who sacrificed to free the country from colo­nial bond­age.He led successive nationalist movements that opposed racist set­tler rule in the then Rhodesia.“On his deathbed, Dr Nkomo con­fided in the late former President Mugabe that his time was up and subsequently advised him to continue uniting Zimbabweans.“Most importantly, Father Zimbabwe also reminded him (Cde Mugabe) about the need to correct the crooked land ownership issue,” said VP Mohadi.The Vice President said the first part of Dr Nkomo’s struggle of ensure that the land­less blacks were allocated land, has been fulfilled, adding that the challenge now is to ensure the land is put to good use.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave

Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald

Source: Zimbabwe Herald