adminMuchadura Dube
ONCE again, it is that time of the year when the nation reflect on the selfless sacrifice and immense contribution which the living and departed heroes of this great nation made. Some cadres we have today have barely anything to show for their sacrifice given the untold suffering which they endured at the hands of the diabolic white mercenaries whose only interest was the perpetual looting of the God-given resources which our great nation is endowed with.
Amidst us are some heroic fighters who lost limbs and are a constant reminder of the pain which they encountered and endured during the liberation epoch.
One might ask what is there for reflection on such crucial days on the national calendar. Zimbabweans have, at all times, to recall and remember that the freedom we enjoy today did not fall from the heavens on a silver platter, but rather life and limb was lost for its realisation.
Conversations with Zimbabweans in their 60s plus years of age always unearth a lot of painful yet insightful experiences which those generations endured until the nation achieved total emancipation in 1980. It was a rarity to locate a black person walking down First Street in the capital city of Harare, then Salisbury. It was a crime which could earn an individual jail time.
I would imagine the pain which some folks who love to imbibe from the brown bottles unperturbed being arrested, taken to court and being incarcerated just for consuming their favourite drink.
It would be an excruciating pain and experience for these comrades yet in the then oppressive Rhodesia, it was the norm.
In Rhodesia, racial segregation was a legal norm with blacks being considered less human by the mentally challenged racists led by the diabolic Ian Douglas Smith, a school dropout whose disdain for the black people was skin deep.
The access to education and health, which we take for granted as given today, were precious commodities which were clamoured for and were not a given to the majority black people. Now these are essentials which all Zimbabweans take for granted and access in modern day Zimbabwe.
Lest some forget, it’s all because of these gallant and fearless fighters that we have all these basic necessities as given and a right. The revolutionary land reclamation exercise could only have been a reality only in an independent country, which has seen the masses being overwhelmingly empowered as they eke out a decent living from their land.
It is this precious commodity, the land which triggered the war of liberation as liberation war luminaries such as President Mugabe and the late barrister, Herbert Chitepo, preached the gospel of political and economic independence to the then enslaved masses.
The land is the economy and the economy is indeed the land as its wise exploitation will have possible positive effects in the entire economy. Most economies across the globe have agriculture as their mainstay, a scenario which Zimbabwe finds itself in.
When the country has a thriving agriculture sector, the net effect is a revitalised economy since industries will have a ready source of raw materials.
The other impact of having a thriving agriculture is the nourishment and the excellent nutrition it gives to the masses. The agriculture sector has a resonating effect across the whole gamut of the economy. For the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) to have the desired effect and results, agriculture must be revamped and reinvigorated.
Other than the usual festivities of merry making and traditional moral custom of visiting relatives strewn all over the country, the masses should spare a thought for the effort and sacrifice which the living and departed heroes made in liberating the nation from the yoke of imperialism and all its evil vestiges.
The nation should therefore throng the usual venues of commemoration of these festivities in their thousands in honour of these brave cadres who took it upon themselves to remove these chains of oppression.
The young generation needs to be exposed to the real war time stories for them to always remember the heroic nature of these heroes and heroines. Such narratives have the net effect of implanting the spirit of patriotism and nationalism in these young generations whilst they are still at a tender age. They will grow up with a firm comprehension and understanding of their nationhood, a virtue which will be permanently engraved on their minds
The Heroes’ Day commemoration should always be a living reminder that the nation can only prosper when the people are ready to make sacrifices for the present and future generations.
Had it not been for the foresight of the living and past heroes and heroines, the great strides which Zimbabwe enjoys in the socio-economic arena would be void and a nullity. Zimbabweans should be eternally grateful for this sacrifice which the gallant daughters and sons exhibited as they took up arms to dislodge the settler regime and everything attached to it.
It is a feat which the current generation and indeed posterity will cherish and derive pride from. One can only wish this great country a refreshing Heroes Day commemoration.
Muchadura Dube is a Nyanga based farmer and political analyst.
Online Reporter