Online Reporter
George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
Masvingo Provincial Heroes Acre is set for a major facelift as the Government continues to pay homage to the country’s heroes and heroines through preserving the liberation legacy for the benefit of present and future generations.
The shrine, domiciled next to Masvingo City’s Hillside Extension suburb, has 94 graves of heroes and heroines.Facelifting the structure will not only improve the aesthetic appearance to boost tourism but will also have security dividends by making the place more secure.
National Museums and Monuments in Zimbabwe (NMMZ) regional director Mr Lovemore Mandima revealed that face-lifting of the provincial shrine would start soon.“
Government has approved the final plans for face-lifting of Masvingo Provincial Heroes Acre and we expect work to start soon, and the work will entail improving security at the facility through the erection of a perimeter fence so that the place is better protected,” he said.
“We also intend to have water-borne ablution facilities at the shrine and a huge shade that will house visitors and crowds during official state events like Heroes Day commemorations. “Everything is now set for work to start, and we are optimistic that the new-look facility that will emerge will befit the status of a Provincial Heroes acre.”
Mr Mandima hailed the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa for moving to give dignity to the country’s fallen heroes by sprucing up shrines where their remains are interred.
Such memorialisation, according to Mr Mandima, was important in remembering gallant sons and daughters who gave their all to help Zimbabwe jettison the yoke of colonial tyranny.
The Second Republic has already embarked on an exercise to upgrade several areas where the remains of those who fought in Zimbabwe’s struggle for independence are buried.
Such a place is Kamungoma Farm, which now houses a Liberation War Shrine to commemorate the 104 villagers and one freedom fighter who were butchered by Rhodesians in cold blood during a night vigil or pungwe in 1978.
The shrine is located about 75km south-east of Mpandawana Growth Point and its upgrading into a shrine means it is now a national monument serving both historical and tourism purposes.
Bongani Ndlovu