Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka, Zimpapers Politics Hub
AS Zimbabwe prepares to commemorate Heroes Day on August 11, one of the country’s liberation war veterans and Central Committee member for War Veterans, Cde Happiness Sibanda, has called for distinct recognition of female freedom fighters.
Cde Sibanda, the only surviving member of the Light Machine Gun (LMG) choir, joined the liberation struggle at the tender age of 14 in February 1977. She says many women ex-combatants faced unique challenges that have largely been overlooked in the national narrative.
These include gender stereotypes, limited economic opportunities, and a lack of the recognition afforded to their male counterparts.
She said that despite their critical roles in the fight for independence, the stories of women ex-combatants have not been fully celebrated.
“I believe the person who should be recognised for liberating the country and bringing Zimbabwe to independence is the girl child. This is because our nature as women was not conducive to the harsh conditions. That’s why any parent with girl children provides them with more security.
“So, as female war veterans, there is a great need for us to be recognised just like our male counterparts, because of the unique suffering we endured. Men’s bodies are strong and more suited for those difficult exercises and enduring a lot, unlike us women,” said Cde Sibanda.
Cde Sibanda painted a grim picture of the long-term consequences of the war on female combatants’ health.
“There was no sanitary ware, but also, because of the exercises we were doing, we stopped menstruating. All the girls stopped menstruating because of the type of exercises we were doing in the morning. We all ceased being “normal women.
“To make matters worse, do you know that most of our girls from that time cannot even give birth today? They became barren forever because of the conditions we lived under and the hard exercises they endured.
“We also easily became ill, and it’s unfortunate that it’s not well-documented, but more women died than men. That’s why I’m saying when helping war veterans, I’m of the opinion that a bigger share should be given to female war veterans,” she explained.
Cde Sibanda said that while the Government was assisting them, she felt there should be differences in the support they receive.
“We believe more should be done for us as women,” she said.
Cde Sibanda also highlighted the disparity in post-independence benefits as another critical concern.
“For example, when it comes to benefiting from resources like farms, female war veterans do not have those farms to this day. If you try to count them, you will find that out of 10 beneficiaries, perhaps only two are women.
“Many male war veterans are benefitting at the expense of us female war veterans. The challenge stems from the long-held notion that the well-known fighters were men, rather than women. Whenever people talk about war veterans, they quickly think of males, and consequently, we as female war veterans are often looked down upon.”
Cde Sibanda insisted on parity in recognition and resources.
“Female war veterans did the same as male veterans, but when it comes to recognition, it is primarily men who are recognised. As female war veterans who went to war, we want to be given the same recognition accorded to male war veterans.
“We need those farms, which are being given to male war veterans. For example, if there are 10 tractors, five should be for females and the other five for males,” she said.
In an effort to rectify the historical oversight, Cde Sibanda said she was actively identifying unsung female war veterans, who have not received due benefits despite their roles.
“I am now spearheading the process of identifying all female war veterans because I know them. It’s just that the process is slow, but as I speak, we have identified some of them. So far, I have identified about 15 female war veterans from Ntabazinduna and Insuza under Umguza District.
“If you meet those I have identified, it’s so pathetic; they are down, struggling, and living in poverty. Many did not return to school after demobilisation, opting for marriage, which further limited their opportunities,” she said.
Cde Sibanda emphasised the need for Zimbabweans to remember Heroes Day as a very important day on the calendar — a day marked by the shedding of blood.
