Military cemeteries are a common phenomenon across the
world but this does not mean soldiers are exclusively buried in these
cemeteries. Their immediate families are also buried in the same facilities.
Zimbabwe does not have such facilities and most cemeteries
are administered by local authorities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage is in
charge of National Heroes Acre and Provincial Heroes Acre where mainly
liberation war heroes are buried.
Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri
said Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshal Elson Moyo has tabled a report
to Government that will guide the establishment of military cemeteries across
the country.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said this while responding to
Umzingwane National Assembly member Cde Levy Mayihlome who wanted to know
Government’s position regarding the establishment of the military cemeteries
during Wednesday’s Question and Answer session in Parliament.
“I am pleased to report that work on the establishment of
provincial military cemeteries is underway,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.
She said the board that had initially been tasked to
conduct consultation work on the programme was affected by the redeployment of
the late national hero Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri from Air Force of
Zimbabwe to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural
Resettlement in 2017.
“In this regard a new board was convened in 2020 under the
chairmanship of the Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe, Air Marshal Moyo. The
board had an arduous task of gathering views of all the 10 Provincial Ministers
who are critical stakeholders in the programme to secure their views which will
be captured in the implementation process,” she said.
“I am pleased to announce that the board recently submitted
its report which we are currently studying with a view to implement its
resolutions. Very soon we will be engaging the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture,
Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement counterparts with a request for land
for the cemeteries in all the country’s 10 provinces.” Chronicle
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