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President Mugabe

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
PATRON of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, President Mugabe has called for the establishment of a fund to assist liberation war heroes and their dependants and called on Zimbabweans to contribute towards the welfare of veterans of the liberation struggle.

Addressing thousands of people who gathered to commemorate Heroes Day at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe said Government had created the Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees headed by Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube to look at the welfare of former liberation fighters.

“MaWar veterans vane organisation yavo, vane ministry yatakavapa navaTshinga Dube as minister. Tumari tunovhotwa tushoma, ngatiitei a very wide programme yekuti tiite a huge fund yorubatsiro inobatsirana nemaefforts avaChinamasa, vari kutadza nekuwanda kwakaita zvinangwa zvedu. Uku maministries ese ane zvinangwa zvinoda mari, zvikoro zvedu maticha anoda kubhadharwa, tinoda kuvapa zvimwe zvikoro, mauniversities mari inobva kumitero yedu chete.

“Asi ndinoziva kuti homwe dzavanhu hadzigari dzakabooka and chido chavo chinenge chiripo nekuti ndinoona patinoti timboita funding vanhu huyai, vanhu vedu vane chido chekupa, ngachivepo chido ichocho. Tichada kuti tive nefunding iyoyo yekubatsira mafamily emawar veterans, vatakarasikirwa navo nevachiri vapenyu. Saka tichazenge toumba zvakanaka maitirwo angaitwa kuti funding iyoyo ibudirire,” President Mugabe said.

President Mugabe also urged Zimbabweans to research more on the liberation struggle. “As a nation, we still need to do a lot more for and about our national heroes and war of liberation. We should feel challenged to research comprehensively, record and preserve more about our heroes but first and foremost, we have heroes’ families. Tinoda rubatsiro, I want to appeal kwamuri kuti muendewo kumaprovince kwenyu muchiti President vari kuti vanoda rubatsiro rwenyu.

“Vana vakasiiwa nevava vari pano zvakare mhuri dzevamwe dzatichinadzo, mawar veterans dziri kutambudzika. Vasina pokubata hongu vangave nepapa pekurima vamwe vanenge vasina equipment, vasina ma inputs,” he said.

He appealed to Zimbabweans to be inspired by the heroics shown by the gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for the country’s liberation. “As we today gathered at the national shrine, let’s do it in a special way. I want to urge every one of us to pause and reflect and cause inspiration from the lives of the heroes who lie here,” he said.

He added that the colonial regime was cruel and had racial policies that disadvantaged the black majority. “Varume vese vaingonzi boys chete, madzimai ose manannies chete. Nokuti uri mutema, you can’t walk in the First Street of Salisbury, you can’t go into special shops like Barbour’s kwaive neBarbours, nguva iyoyo you got to go through a window, kahwindo kakadai to buy what you wanted. You can’t build in certain parts of Salisbury kunanaHighlands, kunanaBorrowdale kwese kwaive kwevarungu,” he said.

The generation of freedom fighters, President Mugabe said, was the best during a difficult period in the history of the country. “On this solemn occasion of our nation, we gather to honour men and women who sacrificed and dedicated themselves in search of our freedom and independence.

“You will agree with me that our heroes were the best of our nation at a difficult period, the best of our nation who does deserve recognitions in this special way by all of us.

“Taking all together, the heroes and heroines indeed deserve our respect in this very special way when we celebrate their givenness, sacrifice that is to serve their people, our people, indeed their readiness to face death for the liberation of our country,” he said.

He said the commemoration of heroes was the least the nation could do to honour the people who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence.

“The act of yearly setting aside a day of remembrance to them is the least we can do for these men and women, who definitely deserve much more and much better recognition than we give them today”.