Recently in Chimoio, Mozambique

WE arrived at the Chimoio shrine in Mozambique during the night last week and there was a strong spirit of oneness and patriotism that gripped us.
But that spirit was slowly replaced by disbelief and anger the following morning.
The shrine is in a deplorable state of neglect; it is falling apart and dying.
For those who don’t know, the place is sacred; it is hallowed ground.
The Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) headquarters was at Chimoio.
The camp was host to several bases scattered around that included departments of agriculture, medicine, transport, commissariat, education and others.
On a November morning in 1977, the Rhodesians rained bombs on the camp while ground forces slaughtered survivors.
More than 5 000 people were killed, mostly unarmed women and children.
The devastating attack was meant to incapacitate and weaken the war.
The attack angered and strengthened the resolve of the freedom fighters; it was one of the brutal acts that spurred the guerrillas to victory.
Most of the youths from Mashonaland West on that appreciation trip to Chimoio were not aware of this sad, but inspiring history.
But there were some who knew because they had lost relatives during the 1977 attack and were visiting the place for the first time.
For the first time they would see the resting place of their valiant relatives.
The thousands that died at Chimoio and other places like Nyadzonia and Tembwe were not brought back home for burial; the war situation would not allow it.
And so horrible was the death of these dedicated men and women, boys and girls that many could not be accorded individual burials.
They were buried in mass graves.
Our mood was exuberant; we were not visiting the dead, but heroes and heroines that gave us a meaningful life and the ability to dream and dare.
We were ecstatic, we sang Chimurenga songs.
Because we had arrived during the night, a pungwe-like atmosphere prevailed and the singing continued.
The singing got so strong that one could not help feeling the fallen comrades would awaken and join in; that is how strong it was.
Standing on the ground where thousands of fighters received training and left for home to fight the Rhodesians, standing at a place where the blood of people whose only crime was the desire to see their country free got us into a frenzy.
During the night we had not noticed the general state of collapse the shrine had degenerated to.
The ablution facility was in a horrible state.
Out of respect for the thousands that had died, we did not relieve ourselves anywhere, but in the foul, dirty and dangerous ablution facility that threatened to collapse under our weight any moment.
Then the tour of the shrine began.
The ecstasy began to wear off.
What lay in front of us was not pleasing to see.
Disbelief engulfed us.
The hallowed ground appeared to have been deliberately desecrated from neglect.
All eyes, demanding explanation, fell on the caretaker of the place, a Mozambican national by the name, Francisco Ferenando.
And his explanation is that he is barely receiving support to look after the place.
The billboard chronicling the history of the place has since faded and is unreadable.
The Zimbabwean flag flying over the place is in tatters; it is more like threads floating in the air. Visiting the graves is almost impossible; it cannot be done comfortably as the paths are close to disappearing covered with grass.
Clearly, lack of support from Zimbabweans the owners of the shrine has left the caretaker dejected and lacking motivation to maintain the place.
“As you can see the Zimbabwean flags are torn and we have been asking guys at the Zimbabwean embassy to supply us with new flags, but they are yet to deliver,” said Ferenando.
“We are trying our level best to look after the place with what we have but if we are given adequate support, we will be able to spruce up the image of the place.”
The security fence fell a long time ago and the shrine has become a grazing land for cattle from nearby villages.
Graves such at Takawira and MbuyaNehanda in which women and girls were buried are cracking and in need of urgent attention.
“I cannot believe that a place so significant that features prominently in our history is in such a dep[lorable state,” said chairperson of Hurungwe Youth Empowerment Trust, Tapiwa Masenda who organised the tour.
“The section where colonial Second World War fighters are buried at Pioneer Cemetery in Mbare is well maintained, 69 years after the war, the state in which the Chimoio shrine is in is a shame.”
“Are the people who lie here no longer important, we commemorate days like Valentine’s day yet we cannot remember our fallen heroes lying here.” he said.
“It is not even Government’s responsibility, it is the responsibility of every Zimbabwean, we have companies, indigenous operations involved in black granite mining, why do we not have plaques at this place.”
“How can we defend the gains of independence and protect the country when we cannot honour those that helped to liberate it from the yoke of colonialism,” Marime said.
Chimoio and other places like Nyadzonia, Freedom Camp and Tembwe even if they are outside the country, they will forever remain closely linked to Zimbabwe.