THE hushed heated morning of November 23 1977 was interrupted by gunfire – a dotted column of death-coloured smoke rising into the washed-out blue sky far ahead.
This was Operation Dingo, also known as the Chimoio Massacre.
The town of Chimoio lies on the railway line along the Beira Corridor, from Beira to Harare, about 95 km from the Zimbabwean border.
Situated at an altitude of 750 metres above sea level, Chimoio links the Mozambican coast with the interior of the African continent.
The current town of Chimoio rose out of the building of the Beira-Zimbabwe railway.
At the top of the Zembe Mountains, south-east of Chimoio, the Portuguese established a fortress, today considered one of the oldest of the many fortresses established by the Portuguese who gradually settled in Mozambique as colonists.
Named Villa Perry under Portuguese administration, it was an important agricultural centre.
Commercial activities carried out included cotton growing, fruit production, citrus, textile, food and wood industries along with services and administration.
It is the fifth-largest city in Mozambique and is the capital of Manica Province.
Similar to the Royal Charter granted to Cecil John Rhodes that enabled him to set up the British South Africa Company (BSAC), this region of Mozambique was granted by charter to the Mozambique Company of Portuguese East Africa, whose main objective was to promote agricultural colonisation, thus settling scores of Portuguese and their descendents in the territory.
However, for most conscious Zimbabweans, November is marked on the calendar as the month when Zimbabweans stand together to recall the senseless annihilation of thousands of human souls by the Smith illegal regime’s forces who massacred thousands of fighters, refugees, innocent as well as defenceless women and children who perished in the attack and today still lie buried in mass graves at the place.
Currently, the National Museums and Monuments, under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage, has established the Chimoio Museum that narrates the story of thousands of Zimbabweans killed at the site as it embarks on a massive exercise to safeguard the country’s liberation heritage.
The establishment of the museum also signifies the solidarity of the people of Zimbabwe with their Mozambique counterparts who bore the burden of housing the liberation war fighters and thus, as a gesture of solidarity, deserve to be given respect in as far as Zimbabwe’s attainment of independence is concerned.
While counting her losses, Mozambique never abandoned Zimbabweans in their hour of need.
In its belated efforts to restore the liberation war history of this country, the Ministry of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage spokesman said:
“The Chimoio Museum will be full of history on the operations carried out by the ZANLA forces. The history will be accessible to everyone and the operations will be detailed in the information.”
Ironically, in the annals of our shared history with Mozambique, Chimoio was in fact an ancient war memorial.
According to legend, the name ‘Chimoio’ comes from one of the sons of Ganda, chief of the totemic Moyo clan, who came from Mbire to settle there. He was named Chimoyo.
Oral history says that Chimoyo was a great hunter who once killed an elephant in another clan’s land.
Chaurumba, their chief, judged Chimoyo’s behaviour to be a crime and ordered his immediate execution.
Ganda then asked for permission for his son to be buried in Chaurumba’s land and for one of his relatives to settle close to the grave in order to tend and watch over it.
From then on, all descendents of the guardians of Chimoyo’s tomb, together with the site of the tomb, came to be called Chimoio, which in the local Citewe dialect means ‘Brave heart’.
The region’s strategic position made it an important centre through which products passed to the coast from the interior.
Regrettably, the roles and experiences of many of the comrades have gone un-recounted and undocumented.
African memories are being lost in the throes of more immediate personal struggles for human survival in the oppressive constructed urban environment which we inherited from colonial times.
But it is never too late to recoup our memories because they cannot be erased quite yet.
Justifying the creation of heritage sites and monuments is a national responsibility which adds to our identity, history and understanding of self.
In Zimbabwe, the National Museums and Monuments continues to expand their portfolio to preserve historical events with the Chibondo Shrine, now the Chimoio Museum and as the Ministry has disclosed, work has already begun to establish a similar museum at Freedom Camp in Zambia, where ZIPRA forces operated from during the liberation war in the1960s to the late 1970s.
War museums and monuments are national heritage that help to heal wounds and should be created not only for the enrichment of our citizens, but should also generate revenue for the survivors of the liberation war.
War memorials are important to create an awareness of man’s errors and interrogate society to learn from its follies so that man does not make the same mistake again.
The loss of a loved one is remembered in words and images as well as on stones and bronze plaques that are erected in memory.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National Heroes’ Acre should be a space where every Zimbabwean should visit and pay national respects.
Images of the struggle in historical monuments and memorials also contribute to urban design and civic infrastructure; enhance and personalise public space; comment on environmental and social conditions; and activate civic dialogue on the struggle and our identity.
The development and adoption of public war monuments through a national public art master plan provides an opportunity to establish a shared vision for a community’s public realm and a true visual and historic understanding of the meaning of Zimbabwe’s war of liberation and independence.
Public art and monuments address the need to catalyse socio-economic development while celebrating and commemorating the story of African empowerment and socio-political freedom.
Liberation heritage sites in Zimbabwe include national and provincial heroes’ acres, battle sites, sites of massacres, extrajudicial killing sites and human remains dumping sites.
The museum seeks to explore and narrate the historical activities that transpired at the base camps of Chaminuka, Parirenyatwa, Takawira and Pasichigare.
The museum also seeks to explore how the Chimoio Massacre was planned and executed.
The official opening of the Chimoio Museum is therefore a sure way of commemorating the 39th Anniversary of the Chimoio Massacre.
Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, graphic designer, practising visual artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher.For views and comments, email: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com