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council provide a grader to spruce up the Provincial Heroes Acre in Nkulumane ahead of the Heroes Day commemorations on Monday.
The holiday is an annual event in which activities are held countrywide to commemorate the sacrifices made by the thousands who died to liberate the country from oppression by colonial whites.
The Town Clerk, Mr Middleton Nyoni, had strongly advised councillors to release the grader for one of the most important holidays in the country’s calendar.
The MDC-T dominated council’s general purposes committee turned down a request by the Provincial Administrator of Bulawayo, Mrs Khonzani Ncube, for traditional assistance to spruce up the provincial shrine.
The committee is made up of the chairpersons of council’s standing committees and is chaired by the Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo.
According to the latest council report, the committee said the grader was being used in other more “important” activities.
In a letter to council dated 30 June, Mrs Ncube appealed for the grader, saying it would play a pivotal role in an ongoing rehabilitation exercise at the shrine.
“The Provincial Heroes Day Commemorations Committee has realised the deplorable state of our Bulawayo Provincial Heroes Acre. It has since gone on a massive fund-raising campaign for the rehabilitation of same. Donations of cement, quarry stones and other material have so far been received. The committee is therefore kindly requesting you to generously augment the initiative by assisting with a grader for the sprucing up exercise. Your assistance, as usual, will provide a significant value to the rehabilitation of our provincial shrine,” read part of the letter.
Councillors noted that in the past, council had contributed in many ways by providing the plant for clearing the Heroes Acre, Fire and Ambulance personnel on stand-by during the Heroes Day Commemorations and in other ways.
In the ensuing debate, councillors observed that the city faced a serious shortage of plant and equipment and there was therefore a need to prioritise work. “In this regard, projects that have a direct bearing on ratepayers should take precedence as they involved or affected service delivery to the community,” read the report.
Councillors agreed that there was one grader that was functioning at the moment, which was fully engaged elsewhere and could not be released for the exercise.
Eventually, they resolved that: “the request by the provincial administrator’s office for a grader to spruce up the Bulawayo Heroes Acre for this year’s Heroes Day commemorations be not acceded to due to financial constraints”.
Meanwhile, despite the grader setback, Heroes Day preparations for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province and Matabeleland North, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, are at an advanced stage.
In Bulawayo, commemorations will be held at the Provincial Heroes Acre in Nkulumane while Lupane Provincial Heroes Acre will be the venue for the Matabeleland North Province.
In an interview, the Governor and Resident Minister for Bulawayo, Ambassador Cain Mathema, said the province was ready to commemorate the important day.
“We remember the contribution made by our gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for us to enjoy our political, social and economic freedom. Youths must embrace and guard the country’s sovereignty,” said Governor Mathema.
“Everything is going well, Ingwebu has pledged to donate 1 000 litres of opaque beer and so many well-wishers have contributed towards the event.”
Governor Mathema said this year’s commemorations were bigger and better and people must expect fireworks.
He urged residents to turn out in large numbers for the important celebration.
Governor Mathema thanked well-wishers for contributing towards the celebration.
In Matabeleland North, the Governor and Resident Minister Thokozile Mathuthu said everything was in place for the commemorations.
“We have cleared and cleaned the area where the commemorations will be held. Many people have pledged to assist us in the commemoration,” she said.
“We are ready for the big day. This is promising to be a spectacular occasion. I would like to encourage everyone to come and celebrate the people who gave us our Independence.”
Heroes Day commemorations are held every second Monday of August in honour of the country’s liberators. This year’s Heroes Day is on 13 August.
Each province traditionally holds its own commemorations with the main event being held at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.
Online Reporter