Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau
PREPARATIONS for the Midlands Provincial Heroes and Defence Forces Day celebrations are in full swing, with some new developments having been undertaken at the provincial shrine.
According to Ms Tonderai Chuma, the acting Regional Director for National Museum and Monuments of Zimbabwe, preparations are underway to ensure that the celebrations ran smoothly.
“Several developments have been made in preparation for the celebrations in terms of infrastructure. We have built a new ablution facility at the provincial shrine and constructed a new quarter guard in a visible location,” she said.
Ms Chuma explained that funding for the ablution facility came from the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube, while the quarter guard was constructed by the Public Works department.
She noted that a total of 266 graves at the provincial heroes’ acre have been prepared, with 165 tombstones and 83 concrete structures already in place.
“Each year, graves are upgraded from mound level to concrete slab level and then to tombstone level. In 2024, 46 graves at the provincial shrine were upgraded from mound level to concrete slab level, and 10 graves were upgraded from mound level to concrete slab level this year.
Some heroes were buried at Mutapa Cemetery and Mutasa Cemetery, where their graves have also been upgraded to tombstone level,” she said.
Ms Chuma said additionally, two graves were concreted and fenced in Gokwe North, and 21 were concreted in the Southern Districts, which include Shurugwi, Zvishavane, Mberengwa, and Chirumanzi. Some tombstones for liberation heroes were funded by the Zimbabwe National Army.
