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IN less than a month, Zimbabwe will be commemorating Heroes’ Day on the 14th of August.
This day is celebrated annually on the second Monday of August in recognition of the sacrifices of all the living and fallen heroes who fought to liberate our country from the shackles of colonialism.
Some risked their lives during the liberation struggle as they fought for our land, democracy and our voting rights.
Others made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives as they fought for the democracy that we enjoy today.
Zimbabwean war heroes and heroines subordinated their personal interests to the collective interest of Zimbabwe.
They accepted and endured pain with fortitude, even unto death, for our right to vote.
You and I are the beneficiaries of their efforts.
The vote that we will cast on August 23 to select the country’s President, Members of Parliament and local authority councillors is how we guarantee that our Government remains of the people, by the people and for the people.
That is true democracy.
It is crucial to remember that for much of our history, the right to vote was limited to the whites and a few selected blacks.
Under Ian Smith regime’s tight rule during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) period, out of a population of 4 million black people, only 11 500 were allowed to vote.
This means that blacks had no control over who would be their leader, rather, leaders were thrust upon them.
This ensured that the control of the Parliament of Southern Rhodesia was in white hands.
The government, therefore, represented only the minority and was a dictatorship in every sense of the word.
Now that the heroes of the liberation struggle have secured us democracy and everyone above the age of 18 is free to vote for their preferred leaders, it is tragic that the number of Zimbabweans who exercise that right is so low in comparison to those who are eligible to vote.
It defies all logic why someone would choose not to utilise their right to vote when someone died while fighting for that right.
But as we trudge through this election season, it is also imperative that we maintain peace and harmony before, during and after the impending harmonised elections.
Holding free, fair and peaceful elections is one of the ways in which we can honour our living and fallen heroes and heroines.
We build our country through the ballot because the leaders that we elect into office will carry the mandate of developing this country for the next five years.
The liberation war heroes and heroines did they part, the ball is now in our court.
Online Reporter