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Farirai Machivenyika

Senior Reporter

The decision to hold this year’s central Independence Day celebrations in Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central is a recognition of the pivotal role the province played in the decisive phase of the country’s liberation struggle, President Mnangagwa has said.

The President said this in his weekly column in The Sunday Mail yesterday, adding the province bore the brunt of the liberation war.

“Government’s choice of Mt Darwin is not accidental; it is informed by profound considerations from our war of liberation, which conceived this day we yearly commemorate and celebrate. It was in Mashonaland Central that the second and most decisive phase of our liberation struggle was launched, marked by the first shots which were fired at Altena Farm in Centenary.

“From that day, towards the end of December 1972, Mashonaland Central became a theatre of war, with some of the most heroic battles being fought on its soil. It thus suffered the longest in the 15 long years of our struggle for independence,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said some of the worst atrocities by the Rhodesian racist regime were experienced in Mashonaland Central, so the holding of the Independence Day celebration there was a tribute to the sacrifices made by the people in the province.

“Not far from Mt Darwin town itself, to the west, is Chibondo. This is a grim site where hundreds of bodies were retrieved from several disused mine shafts. The bodies belonged to victims of Rhodesian atrocities during our war of liberation. They were dumped there by Rhodesian forces after brutal and vengeful reprisals against defenceless villagers whose only crime was to support the struggle for Zimbabwe’s national independence from foreign settler colonial rule.

“Mashonaland Central thus witnessed some of the worst atrocities in this chapter of racial genocidal carnage. All this makes our national day commemorations in Mount Darwin a day of bitter remembrance as we reflect on the tragic toll which our quest for national freedom levied on our people and communities. The choice of Mount Fura Town as venue for this national event thus combines bitter sorrow and deserved tribute in equal measure,” President Mnangagwa said.

Mashonaland Central was the first proverbial “water” which sheltered the freedom fighters as they laid groundwork for a protracted people’s war for independence. The freedom fighters needed to be among the people as the fish swim in the water.

“The province did a lot more than shelter freedom fighters; it gave its own sons and daughters to the same struggle, which is why the earliest crop of freedom fighters invariably traced its roots to areas like

Centenary, Mt Darwin, Chesa, Rushinga, Madziva, Mukumbura, Mazowe and Guruve.

“Many of her children fell in that protracted struggle. We use this year’s commemorations to pay tribute to all our fallen heroes, symbolised by those who lie buried in Mashonaland Central Province,” he said.

Altena Farm deserved to be declared a national site and monument as a fitting reminder of where the decisive phase of the country’s struggle began.

The President added that current and future generations must know, through Altena and more such landmarks which this province carries, the heroic sacrifices of a brave generation which brought independence.

President Mnangagwa said places like Mavhuradonha became the main armoury of the Second Chimurenga, with its caves and caverns providing discreet areas where arms of struggle were cached.

“Gathering in the province to commemorate our national day rekindles such memories; such memories must never be allowed to fade,” he said.

“The province’s proximity to Mozambique made it key to Zanla operations in the north-east, arguably the hottest zone during our struggle. Zanla had struck an agreement with Frelimo where our early fighters would be embedded within units of Frelimo fighting in border areas like Tete. This relationship continued until Mozambique’s independence, after which our fighters enjoyed free passage to the north-east. This increased the tempo of struggle, thus bringing nearer our day of national freedom.”

He also said several communities in the province and in others like Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Masvingo were displaced at the height of the war of liberation with many such communities resettling in neighbouring countries, most notably in Zambia and Mozambique.

“Communities trapped inside the country found themselves herded into ‘keeps’, in reality concentration camps. This was an inhumane concept which desperate Rhodesians imported from wars fought by Europeans elsewhere, most notably in the Far East. The idea behind that dastard concept was to isolate fighters by denying them contact with communities which gave them support and succour,” President Mnangagwa said.

From the start in Zimbabwe the theoretical development angle was totally ignored, the communities simply crowded together behind barbed wire, often many kilometres from their farms, without adequate water, shelter and food supplies.

“Our decision to commemorate our National Independence Day in rural Mashonaland Central thus throws all this heroic, people history into sharp relief. As we recall several bitter and tragic moments recorded in this province, we also celebrate and pay tribute to the indomitable fighting spirit displayed by our people as they supported their freedom fighters and the struggle for national independence.

“This is the primary reason for devolving this important national day to Mt Darwin, itself a microcosm of the whole province, and of our whole nation in struggle.”

The decision to hold commemorations in Mt Darwin afforded the country an opportunity to thank the broad masses for their contribution to the liberation struggle. But there was also the opportunity to take stock of what Government had done for those communities which gave so much to the struggle.

“Above all, we use these commemorations to remind ourselves of what else remains outstanding, and thus owed to such communities. Both historically and geographically, Mashonaland Central falls within areas that were deliberately neglected and marginalised by successive colonial governments.

“Its militant role in the liberation struggle further deepened this neglect, which national independence must now repair and change to irrevocable progress. The Second Republic has made a vow to leave no one and no place behind on development. By converging in Mt Darwin and other outlying rural districts, the national leadership is in a position to take stock of what remains undone, which translates to and means what still needs to be done,” he said.

The Independence Day celebrations was for all Zimbabweans and no one or any community should be left behind.

“All of us must sit comfortably under one flag, equally sheltered by this one Zimbabwean flag which bears our colour, our sacrifices, our shared heritage and expresses our lofty ambitions. As it flutters and sways boundless in the Zimbabwean breeze, so must our spirits leap and celebrate, all in unison.”

Freedom fighters from Mt Darwin, yesterday said they feel honoured to be hosting Independence Day celebrations.

Cde Alice Chimbudzi, who was born in Chipamurandu Village and joined the war through Zambia in 1974, yesterday said: “We feel honoured that Independence Day celebrations will be held in Mt Darwin, which shared the border with Mozambique.

“It was through Mt Darwin that many people crossed into Mozambique to join the liberation struggle.

“Many people from Mt Darwin died during the war. If you go to the airstrip now you may find 3 500 who still lie at that airstrip. So the coming of independence celebrations to Mt Darwin, makes us as freedom fighters, to feel honoured very much. Even those that died should be very happy because we fought for independence and that independence has come to Mt Darwin.”

Cde Chimbudzi, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Ruramai, said as liberation war fighters, the hosting of Independence Day celebrations in Mt Darwin has reinvigorated them.

“We will continue to work for the country, and we will continue supporting our President Dr ED Mnangagwa.

“In my case, President Mnangagwa was my boss during the war, hence I am feeling happy. He (the President) was my commander during the war,” she said.

Cde Elizabeth Shongedza, who hails from Mugambiwa Village in Mt Darwin under Chief Dotito and abandoned school while in Form 2 to join the liberation struggle, said she was excited that Independence Day celebrations would be held in her area.

“We have been respected 100 percent by Zanu PF. We have been respected by our President because this is where the fiercest war was fought,” said Cde Magorira, who skipped the border in August 1974 to join the liberation war.

“Our parents will also see that the party has respected us and even those who died during the war will be happy that the Government has remembered us as Mt Darwin.”

Cde Magorira arrived in Mozambique during the war in that country.

After cease fire, they were taken to Mozambican camps and in 1975, during detente, together with others, Cde Magorira was taken to Mboroma after their leaders were imprisoned.

They were condemned to a game reserve, living together with wild animals.

When some of their leaders were released from prison, they went to Tembwe, where she received military training.

Cde Magorira returned to Zimbabwe in 1979.