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Joseph Madzimure
Senior Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the 43rd Independence Day celebrations set for Mt Darwin, Mashonaland Central Province, are on course, with the main arena expected to be completed 10 days before the event.
At least 40 percent of work that was supposed to be done, has already been covered.
A bumper crowd of over 30 000 people is expected to attend the grand event at Mt Darwin High School.
Mashonaland Central in general, and Mt Darwin in particular, are highly regarded for the sacrifices made by the people there to liberate the country.
The historic Altena Farm attack on December 21, 1972, is said to have completely changed the lives of Mt Darwin people after Rhodesian authorities launched “Operation Overload”, which placed thousands of people in protected villages known as “keeps”.
President Mnangagwa recently said the decision taken by Cabinet to have Mt Darwin host the 43rd Independence celebrations, was in honour of the sacrifices made by the people from the area.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister, Kazembe Kazembe, who is also Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman, said preparations were going on well.
“Everything is under control; engineers from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works are making some final touches at the main arena,” he said. “Parking bays are already in place. We are targeting to finalise our preparations at least 10 days before the event. At the moment, we are almost 40 to 45 percent complete.”
Already, the main arena has been levelled while four boreholes are being drilled at the venue to ensure everyone will have access to clean water.
Minister Kazembe said the people of Mt Darwin were happy that President Mnangagwa kept his word, after promising to rotate the hosting of Independence celebrations across all provinces, and that Mashonaland Central would host this year’s celebrations.
“He fulfilled his promises he made last year that Mashonaland Central will host the 43rd Independence celebrations in line with the ethos of the Second Republic of leaving no one and no place behind,” said Minister Kazembe
“The excitement in Mashonaland Central is unbelievable. People can’t wait for the big event. We are expecting to receive delegates from all the provinces to join the nation and His Excellency President Mnangagwa in celebrating the historic day.”
Minister Kazembe said hosting the Independence celebrations in Mt Darwin was an honour to people from the district, especially war veterans.
“People lost their wealth and lives,” he said. “Every family has a member who joined the liberation struggle, especially in the villages that share the border with Mozambique.
“We appreciate the President’s efforts of leaving no one behind and this is the evidence. This is a special way of recognising war veterans and it is the beginning of a good legacy which was unheard of in the past.”
War veterans say Mt Darwin District served as one of the earliest “symbolic waters” where freedom fighters found refuge, while laying the foundation for a protracted war of liberation.
Some of the liberation icons who came from Mt Darwin include the late national hero Cde George Rutanhire, former Vice President Joice Mujuru, the late national hero Cde Wereki Sandiyani, whose Chimurenga name was Philemon Gabela, and Cde Ben Nyasha Zonke who came from the Chesa area.
The late Cde Rutanhire once described how the Rhodesian forces became increasingly cruel and turned to attacking the helpless populace as a means of letting off steam after realising they were losing the battle fast.
During the liberation struggle, Cde Sandiyani encountered the enemy in a fierce battle and was shot on the right leg, leading to his capture by Rhodesian forces whereupon he was taken to Jock Mutoko Military Camp for torture.
Innocent peasants in communities like Chesa, Kandeya, Mutungagore and Dotito, were attacked indiscriminately by the Rhodesian soldiers, who also destroyed their homes and sources of livelihoods.
The worst atrocities by the racist Rhodesian regime were experienced in Mt Darwin’s Chibondo area.
In early March 2011, exhumations of hundreds of bodies of liberation fighters and villagers from a site in Monkey William Mine/Chibondo Mine in Mt Darwin district were carried out by members of the Fallen Heroes Trust led by the late Cde Rutanhire.
The Chibondo area became a grim site where hundreds of bodies were retrieved from several disused mine shafts.
Online Reporter