Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere-Zimpapers Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe has urged its counterparts to always honour the sacrifices made by the region’s liberators, as the Southern African Development Community yesterday commemorated the inaugural Southern Africa Liberation Day in Harare.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira paid homage to the region’s struggle for freedom in a speech read on his behalf by Chief Director Mr Nesbert Samasuwo.
The commemoration was attended by veterans of the liberation struggle, diplomats and senior Government officials.
“A special and profound welcome is reserved for the gallant veterans of the liberation struggle seated in our midst. You are the living archives of our history, the embodiment of sacrifice and the very reason we gather here in freedom,” said Minister Murwira.
Addressing the youth in attendance, Prof Murwira said young people were the torchbearers of the future.
“Your presence here assures us that the flame and legacy of the liberation of our region will never be extinguished. These young men and women are the inheritors of a great legacy in our region. We therefore challenge them to become the new custodians of our history. Learn the stories of the struggle. Read about the heroes and heroines. Understand that the peace and opportunities you enjoy today were paid for in blood.”
Minister Murwira also paid tribute to those who took up arms in the fight for freedom.
“At the heart of this inaugural commemoration lies a profound debt of gratitude that we owe to the veterans of the liberation struggle. We pay the highest tribute to the gallant sons and daughters of our soil, and of the entire Southern African region, who took up arms not for conquest, but for conscience. They sacrificed their youth, their comfort and, in many cases, their lives, so that we could know the dignity of being a free people in our own land,” he said. He noted that their courage was driven by a determination to ensure that future generations would be born free, adding that they were honoured “not just with words, but with our unwavering commitment to protect the freedom you won”.
he Minister also emphasised the importance of regional solidarity.
“The liberation of Southern Africa was not achieved in isolation. It was won through a powerful and unshakeable regional solidarity. From the Frontline States to the formation of the Southern African Development Community, our shared history teaches us that our strength lies in our unity.
“The struggle against colonialism and apartheid demonstrated that the challenges facing one country are the challenges facing all. The freedom of Zimbabwe was inextricably linked to the freedom of Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and South Africa. We were bound by a common enemy and united by a common dream.”
He said the region’s hard‑won sovereignty remains the firm foundation upon which efforts towards economic self‑determination are being built, and that through the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2020–2030), the goal is to transform the lives and livelihoods of the region’s people.
