IN a great mark of unity among political parties and a pointer to the inclusivity of the Second Republic, members of the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) recently visited Chimoio Shrine in Mozambique to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of the Chimoio massacre of the gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe by the Rhodesian Forces.
The massacres were executed on November 23, 1977.
Some of the POLAD principals shed tears as the guide from
the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, Mr Lloyd Makonya took them
through the callous execution of thousands of Zimbabwean freedom fighters,
children and innocent refugees on that fateful morning of ‘Operation Dingo’.
Mr Makonya expounded on the historical, symbolic, social
and spiritual value of the shrine as a basis to put national interests first
ahead of individual interests.
The tour was facilitated by the Office of the President and
Cabinet (OPC).
POLAD rapporteur, Mr KwaneleHlabangana, said the visit
accorded them a great understanding of the trials and tribulations that freedom
fighters went through to liberate the country.
“The experience of such sacrifices by our brothers and
sisters of the soil fosters a great opportunity for unity among political
leaders, and as such, Zimbabweans are one. The principals had an opportunity to
appreciate the status of the monument and will soon craft recommendations to
improve the facility,” he said.
Ms Lucia Matibenga of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
said: “We went to Chimoio Shrine to revive our understanding of the liberation
struggle, and this must guide us going forward that we share a common heritage,
anchored by the selflessness of the country’s gallant sons and daughters who
shed their blood to unshackle our country from the chains of colonialism. This
should guide our political decisions.”
On November 23, 1977, the Rhodesian Forces, in a ruthless
operation code-named ‘Dingo’ attacked the ZANLA military headquarters at
Chimoio, leading to the ruthless killing of thousands of freedom fighters and
refugees.
Their remains are buried in mass graves at Chimoio Shrine.
The POLAD principals commended President Mnangagwa for
being a listening President and for facilitating the trip to Chimoio.
They promised to engage President Mnangagwa further on
possible improvements which can be done on the site to add its value as a
sacred Zimbabwean shrine.
They outlined the importance of rehabilitating the road
that leads to the shrine as well as the erection of ablution blocks and other
facilities as the shrine is a significant historic emblem.
“We would like to thank the Office of the President and
Cabinet for facilitating such a worthwhile trip to Chimoio. We, however, intend
to engage Government on possible improvements that can be done to rehabilitate
the road that leads to the shrine as well as the construction of ablution
facilities,” said another POLAD member, Mr Devine Mhambi-Hove, who is also the
leader of the National Alliance of Patriotic and Democratic-Republicans (NAPDR)
party.
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe director, Dr
Godfrey Mahachi, said although they are happy with the progress made so far in
terms of infrastructure, they have greater plans to further rehabilitate the
shrine in 2023.
“We are about to finish refurbishing the Chimoio White
House and turn it into an exhibition camp. The exhibition camp or the museum is
95 percent complete. We have already installed a borehole as well as an
overhead tank. We are left with constructing staff accommodation, ablution
blocks and a shade where gatherings can be held.
“We are, however, happy with the progress made so far. We look forward to having more tours like the recent one as Chimoio is a sacred shrine,” said Dr Mahachi. Manica Post
0 comments:
Post a Comment