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Manicaland Bureau
FREEDOM fighters and war collaborators should document their liberation war experiences and create a database of war veterans for the benefit of young and coming generations.
This was said by Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba during a meeting for war veterans held in Mutare recently.
Dr Gwaradzimba said documenting the liberation war experiences would also assist the young and coming generations to have an appreciation of how the country achieved its independence and appreciate the important role played by war veterans.
Very few tales of the liberation have been documented, which leaves a huge vacuum to the history of the country’s liberation history.
“I would like to dwell on the issue of recording of our history.
“There is a gap now as comrades are dying every day in unbelievable numbers.
“If we continue dying at such a rate, who will remain to give the history to young generations to come on how we fought the war.
“I am appealing to each one of you to go and write a piece of history of your experiences during the war.
“Note down your struggles, experiences and other situations that you went through during the war. This is a very important exercise for generations to come.
“Look at the voting patterns by the youths during the just-ended elections and see how they voted.
“It tells a lot as they do not have that history,” she said.
Dr Gwaradzimba also called for the construction of schools of ideology in all the country’s provinces, saying it helped cultivate an understanding of how the struggle was won.
She urged Government and other stakeholders to assist in the provision of resources towards reburial of fallen heroes through the Fallen Heroes Trust of Zimbabwe.
“I would like to talk about the provision of decent health services as many comrades face different challenges that stem from the war.
“Provision of health services takes a long time because everything is centralised in Harare. Our hope is that it will be quickened through the devolution process, which will see everything being done at provincial level or district level.
“We are saying everything will be decentralised to speed up the process,” she said.
Dr Gwaradzimba urged the war veterans to participate in economic activities saying the new dispensation, under President Mnangagwa’s administration, was result oriented.
“We all must play a part in the economy as Cde ED is calling for tangible results. We must participate in the upliftment of our welfare.
“Devolution has come at the right time,” she said.
Online Reporter