Story by ZBC Reporter
FIFTY-two freedom fighters out of 68 heroes and heroines exhumed in Ruwombwe have been reburied at Ruwombwe shrine in Makoni district as the government reaffirms its commitment to speed up the exhumation and reburial processes across the country.
Families who converged at the shrine described the reburials as a long-awaited moment that would ensure their relatives are accorded decent burials.
“My brother died in 1979, and we are happy that the exhumation process has helped us identify him, and we are going to bury him in Zviyambe. This has brought closure to a long-awaited question about his whereabouts.
“I was left two months pregnant by my husband, Livingston Mukodza, when he joined the Liberation struggle. I later gave birth, and my child William Mukodza, never had a chance to see his father. We are very grateful for being able to lay him to rest.
“My brother passed away during the Liberation struggle. He died during the ceasefire in 1979 on his way home. It was walking distance from here to our homestead. We were able to identify him through traditional means,” members of the deceased families said.
The Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, says efforts to accord freedom fighters decent reburials will be stepped up in Manicaland province.
“This is a great day for us as we lay to rest our freedom fighters who lost their lives to liberate the country. This is an important event. We want to thank the president for putting mechanisms in place to ensure that all the freedom fighters are accorded decent reburials,” Advocate Mugadza noted.
Makoni West legislator Honourable Jenfan Muswere who is also the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services says defending the gains of the liberation struggle is the greatest appreciation that can be given to the departed freedom fighters.
“Today, we are laying to rest these heroes and heroines who fought to liberate the country. The government, led by President Mnangagwa, will continue to prioritise decent reburials going forward. The greatest thank-you to those who fought to liberate the country is to defend our country and fully embrace Vision 2030. We need to continue supporting the ruling party to ensure those who died for the country remain happy, and what they fought for is being protected,” he said.
The Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs, Senator Monica Mavhunga, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensure all war veterans are afforded decent reburials.
“Today, we are gathered to give decent burials to the remains of freedom fighters who died during the liberation struggle. President Mnangagwa instructed us to memorialise the liberation struggle history. In this regard, we call upon all those with information to come forward and give us information on the whereabouts of the fallen heroes.
“The government is working on establishing a comprehensive memorialisation framework. This framework for the memorialisation of the liberation struggle will unlock funding and support. Let’s ensure that we use the whole-of-government approach to step up the identification and reburial exercise. Let us continue to play our part in protecting the gains of the liberation struggle. Our Vice President, General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga was also here. The exercise should continue,” she added.
Apart from the reburials of 52 heroes and heroines at Ruwombwe Shrine, the remaining 16 freedom fighters will be laid to rest starting this Sunday at different sites that include the Mutare Provincial Heroes Acre and Matumba Six shrine, while others have been taken to their homesteads.
