Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve
VICE President Dr Kembo Mohadi has described President Mnangagwa’s decision to rotate Independence Day celebrations across the country as transformative, as it turns the holiday into a national development and unity-building programme that leaves lasting economic and social benefits in every host district.
In an interview on the sidelines of the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, VP Mohadi, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on State Occasions and National Monuments, said the decentralisation policy was already bearing fruit across all 10 provinces.
“Decentralising Independence Day has transformed the commemorations from a single-location event into a nationwide development and unity-building programme that leaves lasting benefits in every host district,” he said.
The Vice President outlined several advantages of the new approach, including infrastructure development, such as roads, water supplies, accommodation facilities and telecommunications networks, which are upgraded in preparation for the national event.
Local businesses, including transport operators, accommodation providers, food vendors and small-scale traders, experience increased demand, injecting economic activity that supports livelihoods and encourages further investment.
VP Mohadi said the policy has enhanced the visibility of historically important areas closely linked to the liberation struggle, promoting heritage-based tourism while fostering balanced national development aligned with the Government’s vision of ensuring no region is left behind.
VP Mohadi spoke at length on the profound significance of the recent repatriation of the last of the eight Zimbabwe Birds and a group of ancestral human remains from South Africa.
“The repatriation of the Zimbabwe Bird and ancestral human remains from South Africa carries deep national, cultural and historical significance for the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“First, the return of the Zimbabwe Bird, an enduring national symbol associated with Great Zimbabwe reaffirms our heritage and identity. These soapstone bird sculptures represent the ingenuity, spirituality, and statehood of early Zimbabwean civilisation. Their return restores an important piece of our history that had been separated from its cultural context, strengthening national pride and continuity.”
VP Mohadi said the repatriation of ancestral human remains is important from a moral and spiritual perspective.
In many Zimbabwean traditions, he said, proper burial and respect for the deceased are essential for harmony between the living and the ancestors.
“Bringing these remains back home allows for dignified reburial in accordance with cultural customs, helping to heal historical wounds caused by colonial-era removals,” he said.
This process is part of a broader effort to address historical injustices. During colonial times, artefacts and human remains were often taken without consent and kept in foreign institutions and their return represents recognition of that injustice and contributes to restoring dignity to Zimbabwean communities.
VP Mohadi said the repatriation fosters national unity and education, offering all Zimbabweans, especially younger generations, an opportunity to reconnect with their history and appreciate the resilience of their ancestors.
VP Mohadi also explained the rich symbolism behind igniting the Independence Flame at Juliet Assembly Point and the Ratanyana Memorial Site, noting that these locations link today’s Zimbabwe with the lived experiences, sacrifice, and resolve of liberation war fighters.
“Juliet Assembly Point is one of the locations where liberation fighters gathered during the ceasefire period following the Lancaster House Agreement. Assembly points like Juliet represent the transition from armed struggle to peace and nation-building,” he said.
“The Independence Flame passing through such a site honours that moment of transformation – from war to sovereignty.
“Ratanyana Memorial Site, on the other hand, stands as a place of remembrance. It commemorates fallen heroes and the sacrifices made by communities that directly bore the brunt of the liberation struggle,” said VP Mohadi.
