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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
IDENTIFICATION of graves of freedom fighters took centre stage at the National House of Assembly sitting on Tuesday as Parliamentarians said there is a need for a community engagement exercise to identify undisclosed burial sites and marking of mass burial sites.
The bodies of some freedom fighters who were victims of bombings were buried in shallow graves.
Others were buried by villagers after their bodies had been left scattered on the ground.
Others were heartlessly piled into mass graves by members of the Rhodesian Army.
Some bodies were hidden in holes by fellow comrades to preserve the dignity of their fallen comrades.
Some of the burial points have been identified and each year are visited during Heroes Day commemorations while others still remain a secret.
Most of those which are known have not been properly marked as monumental points.
Several reports have been made over the years on human remains that have been discovered, believed to be of freedom fighters that were massacred. Some were discovered in mining areas.
Traditional leaders have said they have managed to identify some of these burial points and through engagement with communities they believe more can be identified.
“Some of the gallant sons and daughters of the soil have been buried in various unknown graves scattered all over the country in areas where they operated.
More than 40 years after independence some of our gallant heroes and heroines are still not yet decently interred as they continue to lie in some unknown graves where they were buried in masses by the oppressive colonial regime,” Mberengwa East Member of Parliament Cde Marko Raidza said while speaking in Parliament.
He said there was an urgent need to identify such graves wherever they exist.
“There is a need to disseminate information to the masses of this country which will lead to the identification of graves of our freedom fighters.
I urge the executive to set up committees countrywide to ensure that no late freedom fighter fails to get a decent burial as this resonates extremely well with the selfless sacrifice they made to liberate this country,” Cde Raidza said. Chiredzi West Member of Parliament, Cde Farai Musikavanhu said in terms of Section 23 of the Constitution, under the National Objectives, the law says, the State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must accord due respect, honour and recognition to the veterans of the liberation struggle.
He said Subsection 2 further says the State must take reasonable measures, including legislative measures for the welfare and economic empowerment of veterans of the liberation struggle.
Cde Musikavanhu said mass graves were dotted around the country and there is a need for them to be properly marked.
“The remains of the unidentified dead from these violent killings of the past continue to resurface from the earth of unmarked shallow mass graves across the country as has been heard and even reported in the newspapers.
In our various communities, people know where these graves are located and who is buried in those shallow graves.
We still have an advantage as of today that some of the people who saw these things happening or who are witnesses to what happened are still alive.
They can also help this cause,” he said.
Chief Bango from Mangwe District said while burial points of some freedom fighters were known and they were being visited during Heroes Day commemorations some had not been identified.
He said some could be identified through engagement with community members.
“In my area there are two places which are known to be grave sites of freedom fighters that were killed during the liberation struggle.
They were killed by the Smith regime and the bodies were left scattered on the ground and villagers followed and buried them.
These burial points are visited every year when we commemorate Heroes Day.
Unfortunately, there are some who were not buried properly as they were killed and their bodies where dumped in mass graves by the Smith regime soldiers,” he said.
Chief Bango added: “Some of these sites are known by community members and if a thorough investigation is conducted they can be identified and these fallen comrades can get the honour they deserve.
It’s unfortunate some comrades were hiding the bodies of their fallen comrades in the bushes during the heat of the war as they were moving along hence these can’t be retrieved as their resting places are not known.”
Chief Masendu from Bulilima District said there was one place in his area which had been identified as a resting place for fallen comrades that were butchered by the Rhodesian Army.
He said there could be more similar places in his area which have not been identified.
Chief Masendu said freedom fighters need proper recognition even in death for the work they did.— @DubeMatutu
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