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Herald Reporter 

AS the country prepares to celebrate Independence Day on April 18, the independence flame will be lit in Harare today and immediately start its journey by road to Mashonaland Central Province, the cradle of the country’s liberation struggle.

Next Tuesday, Zimbabwe will mark 43 years of independence, celebrating under the theme, “Nyika Inovakwa nevene vayo; Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”, an apt theme that captures the transformation the country is going through under the Second Republic.

In line with President Mnangagwa’s mantra of “leaving no one and no place behind”, this year Independence Day commemorations will be taking place in Mt Darwin, a place which is going through massive transformation to accommodate thousands of Zimbabweans who will converge in the small town for the festivities.

It is an Independence Day with a difference as it will be the first time it is held in a rustic setting — with  the President set to headline the main events, starting with a children’s party on Monday and then the main event on Tuesday.

Before that though, the Independence flame will today make its way to Mt Darwin from the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences in the capital where it will be lit by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.

From Harare, the torch will travel the long journey to Mt Darwin through Mazowe, Concession, Glendale and Bindura.

There shall be a brief stopover in Mazowe where it will be received by a delegation from Mashonaland Central Province.

Tomorrow, the flame will leave Bindura for Madziwa en route to Mt Darwin and on Saturday it will be taken to Dotito and Rushinga. On Sunday, it will be taken to Chibondo in preparation for lighting on April 17, 2023.

According to the schedule, a lighting ceremony will be held at Chibondo at the Mt Darwin District Heroes Acre, and then the flame will be taken to the venue on the 18th, by athletes.

Taking children aboard the philosophy, the host province will have 400 children coming from the districts of Bindura, Mbire, Guruve, Mt Darwin, Rushinga, Shamva, Mazowe and Muzarabani, districts that are synonymous with the liberation struggle that culminated in Independence in 1980.

A day before the country celebrates its 43-year milestone, amid tangible economic development, modernisation and transformation towards Vision 2030, to become an upper-middle-class economy, President Mnangagwa will host a Children’s Party for children drawn from the country’s 10 provinces (400 each), and another 400 from the districts that form Mashonaland Central.

In line with Government’s devolution and decentralisation thrust, the 2023 Children’s Party celebrations will be held at Pfura Stadium, Mt Darwin Centre on April 17.

The President will lead in the planting of at least 43 trees on April 17 at the Independence celebrations venue to mark 43 years of Independence. An assortment of fruit trees will be planted at the Mt Darwin High School orchard.

And on the 18th, perhaps the most important day on the country’s calendar, President Mnangagwa will lead proceedings at the stadium where final touches are being put in place to ensure the turf meets the standards of the country’s Premier Soccer League.

This is because later in the day, after the formal proceedings, the country’s most popular teams Dynamos and Highlanders will lock horns for the Uhuru Trophy.

That is not the only entertainment on offer as musicians from across the country will then entertain the crowds at the Uhuru Gala which will have a flavour of Mashonaland Central, notably Njerema Boys, who hail from Njerama Hills in Muzarabani.

 Sungura maestro Alick Macheso will also provide entertainment for the main Independence celebrations.

They will be complemented by a Cultural act of 100 artistes who will synchronise with the 500 school children doing gymnastics, and supported by the Zimbabwe Republic Police band.