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THERE is a sorrowful song that normally hits the airwaves towards Heroes Day commemorations in August or every time a hero or heroine dies. It is called “Tormented Soul”, this song was composed when Mozambique’s founding president Samora Machel died on October 19 1986. It was composed by Mathias Xavier, a Mozambican artiste to mourn the passing on of this great son of Africa.

Rather than verbalise his pain, the song consists of what would best be described as humming and/or groaning noises by the artiste to signify pain that could not be verbalised.

To the sound of a melancholic tune, Xavier’s voice has become synonymous with the announcement of hero or heroine status whenever the venerated heroes of the liberation struggle pass on.

Thirty-six years after independence, the same song ‘Tormented Soul’ is talking about the same people, but in a different way according to a delegation of chiefs and headmen from Rushinga District in Mt Darwin who recently travelled to Chimoio.

They came back with sad news, that there are tormented souls at Chimoio. The chilling disparities between the state of Cecil John Rhodes’ grave at Matopos and the historic Chimoio shrine in Mozambique were once again brought to the fore by the Rushinga District traditional leaders’ delegation.

In the brief to Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora, the most important message that came from their testimonies was how the country has seemingly abandoned the historic Chimoio shrine. But Chimoio is important to Zimbabwe’s history in many ways.

It was at Chimoio that the Rhodesian Forces committed one of the worst massacres in the history of mankind when they brutally murdered thousands of Zimbabwean freedom fighters in November 1977.

Located about 95 kilometres east of the Zimbabwean border, Chimoio is the capital of Manica Province in Mozambique and was, most importantly, the headquarters of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) when the Rhodesian raid (Operation Dingo) which claimed over 5 000 lives.

The victims were eventually buried in mass graves making Chimoio one of the most important aspects of our history.

There are over 11 mass graves at Chimoio.

In previous years, acres of space have been dedicated to various sections of the media on how the foundations of the country’s history are entrenched at Chimoio.

But the emotional testimonies by the traditional leaders will without doubt bring the spotlight the need to maintain these historic shrines.

They gave disturbing accounts of how even those who have volunteered to provide security at the shrine are struggling to make ends meet.

With no salary, no food and other incentives, the leaders said they had to make contributions for the Chimoio shrine caretakers, young Mozambicans, less than 20 years old.

Chief Makuni said the Government must quickly renovate the dilapidated infrastructure at Chimoio. In contrast, Rhodes’ grave in Matopos is a tourist attraction. Ironically Rhodes maliciously chose to be buried at Matopos in order for him to cut the link between the people of Zimbabwe and the country’s ancestral spirits.

There was nagging fear within whites that the country’s strength is drawn from ancestral spirits and there is no doubt that spirit mediums played an important role during the liberation struggle.

But the sentiment that kept popping up in the Rushinga traditional leaders’ testimonies were how the country has seemingly turned back on its history? Could it be the reason why things are not going on well in the country? Did we do what was supposed to be done when we gained independence in 1980 and did we remember those who perished during the liberation struggle?

Did we do anything to appease their spirits?

If not, then Chimoio is one place that we must begin with. — The Patriot-Herald Reporter.