ALL is set for the unveiling of the statue of the iconic First Chimurenga heroine Mbuya Nehanda in the capital today as the Second Republic continues to pay tribute to the country’s heroes and heroines who sacrificed life and limb to liberate Zimbabwe.
It is befitting that Mbuya Nehanda’s statue is being
unveiled today May 25, the Day when the African continent, which was subjected
to all forms of abuse by erstwhile colonisers, celebrates Africa Day.
As way of immortalising founding inspirational figures like
Mbuya Nehanda who is famous for declaring that her “bones will rise”, the
Second Republic has been encouraging Zimbabweans, those in the academia and the
youths, to get involved in honouring the country’s heroes and heroines.
This year Africa Day is going to be commemorated under the
theme “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa we Want”.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe
Kazembe, whose ministry oversaw the construction of the statue said all was set
for its unveiling.
Just last week in Gokwe, the President revealed that
several sites have been earmarked to construct befitting monuments for the
country’s heroines and heroes.
“It is in this vein that on Africa Day, May 25, we will
also honour and remember Mbuya Nehanda, who is one of the great authors of our
revolution for national independence. I urge the youth, academia and
professionals to be actively involved in the ongoing memorialisation of our
heritage.
“Projects such as establishing the African Liberation War
Museum, upgrading our liberation battle sites, and detention and restriction
camps must interest our young people. These sites include Kamungoma in Masvingo
Province, Pupu in Matabeleland North Province, and Sikombela in Gokwe District,
among others.”
The President said it is important to tell the Zimbabwean
story for the benefit of both present and future generations and such stories
can be captured through art.
“So we are putting up a statue for Mbuya Nehanda and we are
named pagans, no we will do it even if they criticise us. She was a
revolutionary. There are churches who criticise us for building Mbuya Nehanda’s
statue but we have never heard them saying we should remove David Livingstone’s
statue in Victoria Falls. We also erected Cde (Joshua) Nkomo’s statue in
Bulawayo because he is our hero, we have many heroes we should honour for the
good of our history and generations to come,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the statue of the late
colonialist, Cecil John Rhodes was well preserved but Zimbabweans were failing
to preserve that of King Mzilikazi, the local hero.
“If you go the late Cecil John Rhodes’ grave there is a
mint road leading to that grave but we have no road that leads us to where King
Mzilikazi is interred. This is what we are correcting as the Second Republic.
We will construct this road so that it’s clear about who we are,” said the
President. Herald
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