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Senators bemoan poor state of heroes’ shrines

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MEMBERS of Parliament’s Upper House last week challenged government to urgently provide resources for the maintenance of various provincial heroes acres’ and other liberation war shrines in neighbouring countries,saying the majority of the shrines were in a state of neglect.

MEMBERS of Parliament’s Upper House last week challenged government to urgently provide resources for the maintenance of various provincial heroes acres’ and other liberation war shrines in neighbouring countries,saying the majority of the shrines were in a state of neglect.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU members of parliament Beitbridge Senator Tambudzani Mohadi (Zanu PF) raised the issue last week, saying the state of the graves was disheartening.

Mohadi said it was ironic that the gravesite of the “symbol of colonialism”, Cecil John Rhodes, “is in immaculate state” in contrast to “our own gallant sons and daughters who lie buried in indecent and shapeless mounds of earth”.

“When I look at the obvious state of neglect of the burial sites of these gallant fighters both locally and in the neighbouring countries, I get depressed,” Mohadi said.

“If what I witnessed at Freedom Camp in Zambia is what is obtaining at Chibawawa in Mozambique, Selibe Phikwe in Botswana, Mgagao in Tanzania, then we neither have love nor memory that we profess for these gallant fighters.

“It is my view that the derelict and dilapidated state of our external liberation war sites does not demonstrate our commitment to the fundamental laws of the land in terms of exalting and extolling those who sacrificed their lives for our independence,” she said.

“This is disheartening and if ever we visited these shrines outside the country, our fallen heroes are not resting in peace due to the state of the shrines. History will judge us very harshly if we forget the immense sacrifice made by our brothers and sisters who went to carry out the armed struggle at a very tender age.”

Mohadi added: “We have an obligation to recognise and respect the role of our fallen heroes as enshrined in Section 3 of the Constitution, which provides for recognition of and respect for the liberation struggle. Madam President (Edna Madzongwe), it, therefore, follows that it is failure on our part to protect the Constitution if we do not give due recognition and respect to our fallen heroes.”

Matabeleland South Senator Angeline Masuku (Zanu PF) concurred, saying: “I want to say, a nation is known by its culture and traditions. If it is in us to forget about them just after burying them, it is okay, but what I know of Zimbabweans is that even at home where we bury our relatives, we give the necessary respect to such places. It is important to give the necessary respect to heroes because they liberated this country.”