Online Reporter
THE National Heroes’ Acre in Harare is a burial shrine and national monument in Zimbabwe located on a 57-hectare piece of land on a ridge close to the capital’s CBD. It’s a national memorial shrine to honour those who sacrificed in an immeasurable way to liberate the country during the 16-year protracted armed struggle to free Zimbabwe from white settler rule.
Apart from the war heroes, it also commemorates contemporary Zimbabweans who dedicated their lives to national development in the post-independence period. The sheer number of lives lost on active service during Second Chimurenga/Umvukela War of liberation meant that it was impossible to repatriate the bodies of freedom fighters and masses to lay them to rest in the country.
War memorials have been built both inside and outside the country to provide grieving communities with a focal point for commemorating the fallen. Many more continue to be discovered and built. All these memorials take on a special significance in their communities on Heroes Day to honour those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice to free Zimbabwe from the shackles of colonialism.
Zimbabwe has several memorials dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Second Chimurenga/Umvukela War of liberation. In this report, with information sourced from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), the country’s premier heritage agency, we share details of the monuments at the centre of the nation’s remembrance every August. The monuments are the most remarkable and significant war memorials in Zimbabwe to salute the memory of the country’s fallen comrades.
What is the general size of the National Heroes Acre? When was it established? The upgrades.
The National Heroes’ Acre, which sits on a 57-hectare piece of land in Harare, was established through an Act of Parliament in 1980. It was expanded in phases over the years, including Phase 1 Extension early on and now in its Phase 2 extension – June 2025.
What is the total number of National Heroes interred at the Heroes Acre National Monument?
A total of 191 men and women are interred at National Heroes Acre. At least 17 of them are women.
What is the number of other National Heroes buried elsewhere, outside the main National Monument?
They are about 34 and the number is rising as posthumous declarations were done in 2025.
What’s the grand total of individuals that have been declared National Heroes in Zimbabwe, both laid at the Heroes Acre and outside of it?
The grand total is 225.
How many Provincial Heroes Acres are there in the country? What is the total number of individuals that have been declared provincial heroes in Zimbabwe?
The country has 10 Provincial Heroes Acres, one in each province. A total of 3 734 fallen heroes that have been honoured are buried in our provincial heroes’ shrines.
What is the total number of District Heroes Acres in the country?
The exact figure is still to be determined as the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) is still in the process of taking over management of the District Heroes Acres from local authorities.
How many other Heroes Monuments is the NMMZ managing both inside and outside Zimbabwe?
The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe is mandated to manage all the country’s liberation monuments and those in neighbouring countries. In Mozambique we have 7 shrines and in Zambia we have a similar figure. NMMZ has a mandate to manage the country’s heritage and was tasked by the Government to spearhead the graves identification and rehabilitation programme. The liberation struggle is an important component of Zimbabwe’s heritage which has to be preserved for future generations. The establishment of liberation war museums in Mozambique and Zambia was a milestone achievement. The two neighbours that hosted Zimbabwe’s liberation movements have pledged to gazette Zimbabwe’s liberation war shrines as national monuments in their countries.
Are there any more sites that are being discovered or established?
The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe continues to identify, document and develop more liberation struggle sites to honour gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives to free Zimbabwe.
What is the role of the NMMZ in the maintenance of Heroes’ shrines?
NMMZ is the institution mandated with the management of Zimbabwe’s heritage in its diverse forms. Management entails;
Identification
Documentation
Protection
Preservation
Development
Presentation
Do people pay any fees to visit the shrines?
No fees are paid to access most liberation monuments, but at the National Heroes Acre, locals pay US$3 to access the monument.
How many people visit the National Heroes Acre per year?
Around 30 000 people visit the crowning National Heroes monument every year. The biggest number is from school groups.
Any idea of numbers that visit other sites such as the Chimoio mass graves per year?
There are no specific numbers, but there are many people that make educational visits and pilgrimages. Families that lost their loved ones during the war also visit the memorial shrines.
What is the message of the NMMZ on the importance of the shrines to the country?
People are defined and shaped by their history and it is important that we preserve Zimbabwe’s liberation history for posterity.
Peter Tanyanyiwa