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Who is a national hero in Zimbabwe?

Opinion & Analysis
Finally, the Cde Chinx hero status debate ended in melancholy with the liberation war icon being laid to rest at the Glen Forest cemetery against all expectations on Friday.

Finally, the Cde Chinx hero status debate ended in melancholy with the liberation war icon being laid to rest at the Glen Forest cemetery against all expectations on Friday. Many may have differed in ideology with Cde Chinx and the party he served, but there was consensus, at least among the general public, that the man deserved national hero status. Sporting his trademark black beret and churning combative songs during his prime, most Zimbabweans were convinced the man would make it to the national shrine, but, alas, we were all wrong. “Cde Chinx is not a national hero”, was the direct message from Zanu PF’s highest decision-making body.

guest column: Learnmore Zuze

Learnmore Zuze
Learnmore Zuze

I saw, on several tweets and Facebook, even the staunchest of Zanu PF critics lampooning the politburo decision. Cde Chinx was unpredictably relegated to the status of a liberation war hero against national anticipation. The question now is why or is it how so? How does Cde Chinx fail to achieve national hero status when some who never came anywhere near the war lie entombed at the national shrine? Even some of the whites, so loathed by our leaders, lie at the Heroes’ Acre. How does Cde Chinx, having boosted morale and conscripted many into joining the liberation struggle through song, fail to access the heroes’ acre? There is quite a significant number of people whose true roles in the struggle remain shrouded in mystery who lie there. If Cde Chinx should be disqualified by virtue of not having gone into the actual war, then the question can as well be directed to many in the top echelons of power who cannot even cock a gun. If he should be excluded for having lost his way along the way, then we know surely that this is a lie. The man remained resolute. If he should be barred for having engaged in some shameful conduct or corruption in post-independent Zimbabwe, then we know this is untrue. We all know that the Heroes’ Acre has many who were conferred status simply by their roles in post-independent Zimbabwe, Border Gezi being an example. Chinx, on the contrary, played a part in both pre and post-independent Zimbabwe. Further, unlike the men and women whom he dodged bullets within the war, Chingaira spent the rest of his life, not in the leafy suburbs, where most are ensconced, but in the populous town of Chitungwiza. His wealth, if it can be called that, is a minute fraction of that of the cadres he was with in Mozambique.

Just what makes a national hero in the land between Zambezi and Limpopo? What exactly sets out one to be a national hero? The bulk of Zimbabweans have no answers to these questions. The mystery that surrounds conferment of this status can only get deeper. But still one cannot help but ask these questions in light of, the status conferred upon Cde Dickson “Chinx” Chingaira, a man who was, by popular vote, regarded as one of the icons of the liberation struggle though in a largely motivating role. Early videos of the liberation struggle show a youthful Cde Chinx leading in song among liberation war greats like Solomon Mujuru. Cde Chinx was there right at the heart of the struggle, he mingled with the maimed and motivated some who never came back to the camps in Mozambique. So strong was the man’s conviction that it reverberated throughout his music. He sang with passion; he would sing and preach in his songs to drive home his points. People may have said many things about Zanu PF and its disagreeable philosophies, but the truth of the matter is that the man, Cde Chinx, was Zanu PF to the core.

I first interacted with Cde Chinx at the height of the highly disputed 2008 elections. It was in 2008 and for about two weeks the election results had been withheld raising a tense national atmosphere. Tension ran high and talk of possible rigging was topical. We were descending from the 11th floor of a city building. There were about five of us and, for some few minutes, the lift seemed to have developed a fault. We were assured that help was coming. In those four or five minutes one could have learnt a lot about the conviction the man carried, he was never apologetic despite the condemnation that many had on his party having destroyed a once envied economy. The man remained true to the cause. I recall Chinx, obviously the most garrulous of the people trapped in the lift, saying gleefully: “We took this country by the barrel and this young generation, fooled by sugary foods, think they can take it through ink.” He was boisterous. We would all break into laughter seeing there was little point in arguing with the man given his conviction. I tried to throw a jab indicating how the economy had been damaged under his party’s watch. That only made things worse; a sermon was delivered. When the lift was finally unlocked, he took a direct interest in me. We made a few steps down the building with him lecturing me on how it was better for blacks to destroy what was theirs instead of being subjugated by the white man. I had to agree to end it all as we parted ways with the late comrade. One thing though, whether one disagreed or agreed with him, one could not help, but appreciate the profound love he had for the ruling party and its ethos. He was Zanu PF to the core. His voice will forever be identified with the liberation struggle.

How, honestly, does Cde Chinx fail to become a national hero? Denying Cde Chinx national hero status simply vindicates critics of the whole concept of a Heroes’ Acre. The supposed national shrine does not necessarily carry heroes, or does it? If it truly was a resting place for national heroes, then Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, among many others, deserved to be there. If it was impartially decided, surely many who lie elsewhere because they presumably “strayed from the values of struggle” ought to be there.

Cde Chinx deserved national hero status, however we may view it. It is necessary to come up with proper objective criteria otherwise Cde Chinx’s case is quite disquieting. The man deserved better.

Learnmore Zuze is a law officer and writes in his own capacity. E-mail: [email protected]