Story by Wellington Makonese
MOZAMBIQUE – AS the nation gears up for Heroes Day commemorations, attention has turned to one of the most hallowed sites of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, the Chimoio Shrine in Mozambique, where thousands of freedom fighters were massacred in November 1977 by Rhodesian forces.
This week, Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects, Dr Joram Gumbo, is on a visit to assess ongoing and planned upgrades at historic shrines in Mozambique.
“Many comrades were living here, but the enemy spent three months surveying their activities to devise a strategy for attack. Some spirit mediums attempted to alert them, warning of impending doom due to the bad omens they had sensed. However, their warnings were dismissed by some as mere dreams. Tragically, on November 23, 1977, the enemy launched a bombing attack, leaving no one able to escape. The result was a devastating massacre that claimed the lives of all who were present,” curator at Chimoio Shrine, Francisco Fernando said.
The Chimoio Shrine is the final resting place of close to 1 000 liberation fighters, making it one of the most significant symbols of Zimbabwe’s protracted war for independence.
“The President’s mantra is to live no place and no community behind this is our community they are lying here and should never be forgotten, so they have to be treated the same way as those as those at the National Heroes Acre, what is critical is that the government of Zimbabwe is very cognizant of the need to maintain this place,” Special Advisor to the President responsible for Monitoring Implementation of Government and Programmes and Projects, Dr Joram Gumbo said.
Zimbabwe’s Consul General to Mozambique, Mr Malvin Bere, confirmed that 16 known shrines have been identified in Mozambique, although more are still being discovered.
“We have 16 shrines at the moment, but that’s not to say those are the only shrines, there can be more. We are still discovering more, here at Chimoio, there are close to a thousand buried here, Zimbabwe is one of the most developed countries in Africa, and the same should apply to its properties and shrines. At the moment, we have the likes of Chimoio, Doroi, Nhangu and Nyadzonya being developed with only a few touch ups remaining,” he said.
The Chimoio Shrine is not just a sacred site, but a national heritage facility that stands as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the sons and daughters of Zimbabwe during the struggle for the country’s independence.
