Online Reporter
Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZIMBABWE’S heroes, both living and departed, deserve the respect and honour of all citizens for their courage, sacrifice and contribution to freeing the country from colonial bondage, ZANU PF United Kingdom District officials have said.
ZANU PF UK District chairman, Cde Xavier Zavare, said although party members in the diaspora are separated by geography and cannot attend national commemorations in Zimbabwe, their loyalty to the country and the party remains unwavering.
He said the nationalists and liberation fighters who waged the armed struggle against colonial rule were the architects of an independent Zimbabwe, and their acts of bravery should be preserved for future generations.
“There is not a single family in Zimbabwe, I would suggest, that did not lose a child, a son or a daughter, fighting for the liberation of our country. So, we will always remain grateful and appreciative of the heroes, both men and women, young boys and young girls and war collaborators who made the ultimate sacrifice and paid the ultimate price of death to liberate our country. They deserve honour and respect.
“We take this opportunity, which is the 10th of August, to remember them and also appreciate the living, including leaders such as President Mnangagwa and all who participated in the liberation of this country. For us in the diaspora, it is only geography that separates us, but we remain Zimbabweans and ZANU PF cadres, loyal to the party, the nation and President Mnangagwa in all that he is doing for the development of our country,” said Cde Zavare.
This year’s National Heroes Day commemorations will be held under the theme, “Lest We Forget”. The ZANU PF UK District has lined up a series of events, including interactions with liberation war veterans based in the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the UK, Colonel (Retired) Christian Katsande.
The party’s UK youth leader, Cde Farai Nyakudya, said the upcoming Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day commemorations are meant to remind young Zimbabweans in the diaspora of the country’s identity, sacrifice and responsibility.
He said the holidays reconnect Zimbabweans abroad with their roots.
“The holidays are not just mere commemorations; they are reminders of identity, sacrifice and responsibility. For those of us abroad, this reconnects us to our roots and reminds us that our freedoms, opportunities and global mobility came from a struggle that demanded courage and unity,” said Cde Nyakudya.
He added that for young people in the diaspora, the commemorations reinforce the idea that nation – building is not confined to those at home, but also depends on how Zimbabweans represent their country abroad.
“These holidays remind us that being in the diaspora does not remove our duty to contribute. If anything, it strengthens it. We carry Zimbabwe’s story into global spaces and we must do so with pride, discipline and purpose,” Cde Nyakudya said.
