PREPARATIONS to mark this year’s National Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day commemorations are at an advanced stage, with calls for continued maintenance of the country’s 10 provincial heroes acres.
A national programme for the occasion is already out.
On Monday the nation will celebrate thousands of gallant fighters who fought bravely to defeat the colonial regime of Ian Smith, culminating in independence on April 18 1980.
Provinces last month held meetings where committees and sub-committees were giving feedback to Provincial Administrators on the progress made so far. At these meetings concerns were raised that Provincial Heroes’ Acres are neglected and only properly maintained towards Heroes Day celebrations.
The Department of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, custodians of all national shrines, have said that they presently lack funds to fully take care of the shrines.
Most of the graves at the Provincial Heroes’ Acres do not have tombstones, while others are crumbling. The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland North, Ambassador Cain Mathema, said there was need to maintain shrines so as to reflect the sacrifices made by liberation fighters.
Mathema called on every citizen to take part in the maintenance of provincial heroes’ shrines.
“It is our responsibility as Zimbabweans to be part-and-parcel of sprucing up these shrines,” said Mathema.
“The Department of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe does not receive enough money to spruce up the shrines.
“Hence an alternative fund should be established for the rehabilitation of these shrines.”
Mathema said provincial heroes’ shrines should be beautiful and artistic to attract people.
Bulawayo Provincial Administrator Khonzani Ncube concurred and said the monuments needed to be upgraded and maintained at all times.
“We need to ensure that provincial shrines are maintained to standards befitting sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the country,” Ncube said.
“We do not have to wait for the commemorations to maintain our provincial heroes’ acres.”
In the past few years private players have been urged to partner Government to upgrade the country’s provincial shrines.
Speaking at the side-lines of last years’ Heroes Day commemorations at Nkulumane Heroes Acre in Bulawayo, former ZANU PF Secretary for Education, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu urged local companies to help upgrade the provincial shrines by transforming them into modern state-of-the-art monuments.
“There is need to upgrade the graves; the responsible ministries should make an effort,” he said.
“On some graves, it is just a slab; it is disheartening for the relatives of the fallen heroes.
“It is time we took responsibility of our Heroes Acres; companies should contribute in the upgrading of the graves.
“It is because of the sacrifices that were made by these fallen heroes that those companies exist today.”
Last year, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko who is also a businessman, pledged to assist widows of the liberation war heroes and their children to empower themselves.