adminThe Herald, April 11, 1980
THE Rhodesian Printing and publishing Company proprietors of The Herald and sister newspapers, has given $5 000 to the independence celebration fund, the company secretary Mr Gordon Simpson said yesterday.
The target of the fund was between $100 000 and $200 000, the president of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce, Mr Bill Dickinson, said on Wednesday, and yesterday evening the chamber had received $30 342.
The money from the fund will go towards official decorations and the building of the independence arch on the airport road, he said.
“The allocation of funds will be done by a sub-committee still to be formed, on which the Government, commerce and probably political parties will be represented,” Mr Dickinson said.
A circular was sent out last week to the 1 010 members of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce, appealing for donations and cars for the independence celebrations.
Some organisations indicated they wanted to give on a national rather than a local basis. This would be taken into consideration by the special sub-committee, he said.
The Hellenic community yesterday presented a cheque for $1 000 to the fund.
The Zimbabwe Chamber of Commerce has established an independence fund-raising committee with representatives from each of its branches, the president Mr Ben Mucheche, announced yesterday.
At a meeting in Salisbury yesterday, members contributed a total of $4 534 to the funds, he said and other gifts were promised.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Hosting a national event such as independence celebrations is a special occasion that requires all hands on deck.
Being national, such celebrations should be embraced by all Zimbabweans regardless of race, colour, creed or political affiliation.
Despite the multi-party nature of the first independence, no political party or racial grouping ignored the celebrations, citing that it was a Zanu PF event.
The celebrations take a lot of planning and mobilisation of resources in cash and kind is vital for the day’s success.
Online Reporter
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