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Dosman Mangisi
Thousands of people thronged Bulawayo central business district on Sunday to witness President Mugabe unveiling the statue of the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.The statue has become part of the country’s heritage. It is one of our national monuments.
Sculpted in a suit and tie and with a walking stick in his right hand, Dr Nkomo looks commandingly northward, up along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street, which was also named after him on the same day. The statue has a muted smile. He leans slightly backward, a true representation of the late Dr Nkomo who was a big man physically (and politically of course).
Indeed those who crafted the image did a massive job. They really brought the Dr Nkomo we all know back to life, it is like they photographed him.
Mberengwa North MP, Cde Tafanana Zhou was one of the thousands of people who were in Bulawayo to witness the unveiling of the statue and commissioning of the new terminal.
He said the honours on Dr Nkomo were welcome developments in the country.
“This is in line with our new constitution, which guarantees the protection of our liberation values and our history. Observation of this exercise as a nation will contribute to the preservation of peace and stability. God called Israelites to go back to their country and continue with the observation of their values.
The biblical Joseph said to the Israelites ‘carry my bones when you go back to Canaan’ meaning they had to carry his history of liberating them in Egypt,” he said explaining that Zimbabwe had to similarly carry forward the history of Dr Nkomo, one of its liberators.
President Mugabe, officiating on Sunday said history was important in the life of every person as it gives lessons on the past and guidance as to where one is going. He said in it comes strength and passion to defend oneself and move on.
He said the history of the late Dr Nkomo among other late gallant sons and daughters of this country is inspirational and it is compelling us to work.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Cde Kembo Mohadi said Bulawayo will never be the same again because a magnificent tourist attraction had been erected.
“This is a great milestone and legacy dedicated to nation of Zimbabwe. Thousands of people gathered here to witness because of passion to see the nation going forward. He is one of the ambassadors who brokered peace to the nation and today we enjoy the peace”, said Cde Mohadi.
President Mugabe also commissioned the new Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport at the weekend to honour the man who founded and led many political parties from the 1950s, prosecuted the armed phase of the liberation struggle and led the country post independence.
Dr Nkomo led the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress, National Democratic Party, Zapu, People’s Caretaker Council and Zipra, the Zapu military wing.
Cde Zhou does not want monuments like Dr Nkomo’s statue sharing the limelight with colonial images and names.
“Some of our public institutions still carry names of our former colonisers elevating their profiles while we have a lot of heroes lying at the Heroes’ Acre we need to name places after. For example, we have Cecil John Rhodes Primary School in Gweru. Students only think of this racist Rhodesian each time they say the name.
Let heroic names of our liberation struggle take their place like what South Africa did last year. It changed all apartheid names and renamed them honouring their gallant sons and daughters of their liberation struggle.”
Shylet Ncube of Gweru who was in Bulawayo to witness the bestowment of the honours on the late icon said she had to be in the city. Apart from witnessing the immense gesture, she said she also wanted to see President Mugabe whom she recognises as a hero.
Norman Nkolomi praised President Mugabe for honouring Dr Nkomo.
“Some people can say whatever they want, but if the President did not want to honour the late Nkomo, the honours were not going to come,” he said.
“He showed his deepest respect for Dr Nkomo by being here personally to confer the honours. I am reading on the Internet some dismissing the awards asking why now, 14 years after Dr Nkomo died. It is these people who have been complaining that Zanu-PF does not respect Nkomo.
Now the respect has been given they have something else to say. But they ignore that we have a big road in Harare named after him, the airport in Bulawayo was already named after him and this statue was supposed to be up in 2010.”
Nkolomi however suggested that with the statue being so popular with tourists and ordinary people having pictures taken at the site along the busy road, Bulawayo City Council might consider putting speed restrictions on the road.
“It is a dignified spot where we don’t expect motorists to simply whistle past,” he said. “Speed humps can enforce discipline there. They can also prevent motorists crashing into the pedestal of the statue. It must be a bigger crime for any motorist who crashes into the statue because it amounts to desecration of a monument like the national flag.”
Dosman Mangisi can be contacted on 0772 942 473 or 0713 791 466
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