Chimoio — Remains still being discovered

liberation war heroes and heroines.
This development comes as the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to ensure decent burial of the remains of all freedom fighters.
The villagers in Chimoio told a group of local journalists that visited Chimoio and Nyadzonia Freedom Camps recently that they were still discovering some remains of freedom fighters in their fields.
The visit was organised by the Cultural Tourism Journalists Association of Zimbabwe in conjunction with the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity to afford journalists an opportunity to have first hand experience of what transpired during the liberation struggle.
Journalists from the private media who were invited to be part of the delegation did not turn up despite earlier confirmation that they would join their colleagues.
Villagers in Chimoio area called for immediate repatriation of the bones as they were being swept away by rains.
“We discovered these bones when we were ploughing. There is a stream along this area and some of the remains are being swept into the river by rains,” said one villager who refused to be named.
The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe executive director Dr Godfrey Mahachi, said the reburial of fallen heroes was not a unique project to Zimbabwe.
He said the programme was part of a broader programme being spearheaded by UNESCO to document the history of African countries.
He said UNESCO introduced the programme in 2003 and it was started in Southern Africa.
“UNESCO has started a project called Road to Independence in Africa Project for African countries to document the memories in which they achieved their independence.
“The idea is to document personalities involved in the struggle and the places they operated in.
“This is not a unique project but it is part of a broader continental programme to retrace the road that led to independence of African countries,” he said.
Dr Mahachi said his organisation was carrying out the same programme in other freedom camps in Zambia and Tanzania.
A survivor of the Chimoio attack, Cde Shadreck Nzounhenda, whose Chimurenga name was Cde John Galacha, chronicled chilling experiences of how innocent Zimbabweans were massacred by the Smith regime.
“When we talk of the liberation struggle and the mass graves here, some people start to say it’s Zanu-PF propaganda.
“The truth of the matter is thousands of Zimbabweans perished at this place after a surprise attack by the Smith regime.
“Comrades buried in these graves were not buried systematically but they are just scattered. You may find a head in one grave and hands or legs in another grave.
“It is estimated that more than 5 000 comrades were killed here after this attack,” he said.