Story by Lisa Masuku-Kurira
WITH the nation hours away from marking its 46th Independence Day celebrations, the ZANU PF Youth League has paid tribute to liberation icon Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo through a commemorative visit to the Joshua Nkomo Museum, reinforcing calls to preserve Zimbabwe’s liberation heritage.
Dr Nkomo, a son of Matabeleland South, the host province for this year’s national independence celebrations played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and remains one of the country’s most respected founding nationalists.
His former residence in Bulawayo has been converted into a museum dedicated to preserving his legacy, where he is widely honoured as “Father Zimbabwe”.
The Youth League said the visit was intended to deepen young people’s understanding of the liberation struggle beyond monuments and public symbols such as the statue of the late Vice President in the Bulawayo Central Business District.
“We have learnt a lot at the museum. We have seen how Father Zimbabwe and President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa played a key role in the liberation struggle,” one youth said.
“It is important for us to get such opportunities to learn more about liberation icons because our history determines where we are heading as a nation,” another youth said.
“Father Zimbabwe once said this country will not die because the young people would save it, so what better way to honour him than to come and appreciate his role in the liberation struggle,” another young person added.
The celebration of independence in areas where iconic figures hail from is a sign of the Second Republic’s commitment to upholding and preserving the country’s liberation story.
Museum Administrator, Mrs Fortune Dube, said the late Father Zimbabwe was a unifier, committed to putting the interests of the people first.
“Father Zimbabwe was all about putting the interests of the people first,” she said.
A mini museum has also been set up at the main independence celebrations in Maphisa, so that those who will attend the event get to learn more about the legacy of the late national hero.
