EDITOR – WE celebrate Heroes’ Day at a time when its deep meaning and relevance could not have been more significant.
The West continues to disturb our peace, while the opposition is hell-bent on reversing the gains of the liberation struggle.
Editor, we need to strengthen our unity, peace, development and engagement as citizens of this beautiful country aware of the immense sacrifices of our gallant heroes.
For our national heroes, freedom was the essence of our humanity.
They knew that what distinguished us as a people was our capacity for free action and will.
Let us recommit to, as we head towards the Heroes’ Day, respect for life and continue the tradition of our forebears of promoting the liberty and happiness of our fellow Zimbabweans, not their demise.
Our heritage provides the fountains from which we draw our strength.
As a proud citizen of Zimbabwe, it saddens me that as a nation, we do not have days we celebrate our achievers like Mbuya Nehanda, King Lobengula and Sekuru Kaguvi who are now only a memory to us and to our children.
This can be entirely blamed on us as we have not prioritised our heroes and heroines like South Africa where they have the Mandela Day while here in Zimbabwe some still celebrate Rhodes and Founders Day, but not our days.
We have important days in our history.
Why do we not recognise them?
The legacy of our ancestors needs to be known by every generation.
Without us acknowledging our heroes and heroines, their memory will fade away.
A day like Mbuya Nehanda Day will remind us of the ongoing struggle of ensuring that every Zimbabwean is given the opportunity to fulfill his or her full potential just like the brave and wise Nehanda.
Now, more than ever, we need to rediscover the things which bind and build us together.
We must pull together, not pull apart; we must build bridges, not walls; and we must shake hands not clench fists.
Let us us rekindle the flame of co-operation, consensus-building and caring.
I also take this opportunity to advise our drivers to adhere to road rules in order to save lives.

Taka Makusha,
Glenview, Harare