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Leroy Dzenga Features Writer
The green and plush scenery that greets on entering the National Heroes Acre is a breathtaking testament of landscaping skills well applied. It speaks to the calibre of personnel who were laid to rest at the monument, far from ordinary.
However, it seems like there is little recognition given to the set of hands that ensure the national shrine is well kept. The Herald caught up with dedicated men who work around the clock to maintain the graves and environs at the national shrine.
Thirty-five-year-old Oliver Mawanda, who started off as a maintenance staffer at the National Heroes Acre, considers his job description to be a fascinating one.
“I have been on this job since April 2011. My duties are rehabilitation of graves, grass cutting and road maintenance at the main shrine as well as the provincial heroes’ shrine,” Mawanda said. Among these tasks, he has a favourite which he says he feels like he is in charge of keeping the country’s history speck free.
“We also do tombstones cleaning on a daily basis. It is always satisfying to see the granite tops sparkling. It feels great to know that I contribute positively to the maintenance of the liberation heritage of this country,” he said. Unlike any other maintenance job there is, Mawanda believes there is a method to his job.
“When we are here, we give these tombs respect. We respect them in the same way we were to respect the people if they were alive today,” Mawanda said. He has shaken hands with names he always reads about in the papers, thanks to his workstation.
“When heroes’ families visit, we get to interact with them and that is an honour to see some people we never thought we would meet,” he said. Mawanda holds dear in his memory, the day he got to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping during his visit to Zimbabwe in 2015.
“I could not believe it when I met the Chinese President. I will forever cherish that day. I remember bragging to my friends that my job had made me meet the man they would not meet even in their dreams,” he said with a chuckle. He added; “Even when I walk around, people respect me for the job I do and where I work.
“This is where I say my job is unique, I do not think that there is any other place where maintenance staff is respected like we are.” Among the graves he interacts with, there is one that stands out for him and he says he always enjoys working on it.
“Mai Sally Mugabe’s grave is colourful and is situated at a higher point. From the grave you can see the whole facility and surrounding areas, the view is beautiful,” Mawanda said. Among the other perks that come with his job, he enjoys how he gets to stay at the iconic shrine.
“I stay with my family here and they love it here. My wife particularly enjoys the fact that we save money since I do not commute to work daily,” he said. Mawanda’s colleague, Ngonidzashe Moyo (30) says he does not need any motivation to wake up every morning for work as he knows he plays a key, but unheralded role.
“It is an honour to be working here at the Heroes’ Acre, especially being among the people who are responsible for the rehabilitation and maintenance of graves,” Moyo said. Moyo says most of the time people come to the site and barely acknowledge their efforts.
“When people come through, sometimes they do not make mention of the people who make sure that the place is clean and well-trimmed,” he said. There seems to be a change though as they have been getting mentions at major events held at the Heroes Acre.
“At the 2016 Heroes Day celebrations, some speakers who graced the event made mention to our work and for the first it felt like we were important.
“Even our bosses in the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe acknowledged how well we had done,” Moyo said. Their working day is 8am to 4pm but during peak seasons or before a burial, shifts get longer.
“Even when we work long hours, we do not complain because to us it is more of a service to the country than it is a job,” said Moyo. Moyo says he loves working together with the heroes` families when they bring flowers to the graves.
“When people come to leave flowers on decorations, I make sure they do not wilt by watering and pruning them until the next time they visit,” Moyo said.
The highlight of his job is when he gets to help peg where a hero gets to be buried at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre. He says it is an honour to assist in marking where illustrious Zimbabweans get to be buried.
Asked whether he may consider leaving a job he terms as prestigious if a better offer comes, Moyo said: “The conditions here are favourable and I appreciate the peace associated with working here at the Heroes Acre.
“I hope to grow here, I do not see myself working everywhere else,” he said.
The resident curator at the National Heroes Acre, Ms Rumbidzai Bvira who oversees the maintenance staff at the site says the upkeep of the national shrine is a process that runs through the year.
“Our maintenance can be divided into two main aspects which are the gallery and the shrine.
“These two have to be presentable at any given point and time since we receive visitors throughout the year,” Ms Bvira said. She believes that the traffic to the Heroes Acre could be higher among private individuals if it wasn’t for a few misconceptions.
“The major hidden fact that people don’t know is that the shrine is open to the public. People see the army’s presence and they are deterred.
“The army is here to protect not to block Zimbabwe from seeing an integral element of their heritage,” she said. Ms Bvira said her maintenance team is dedicated to their work and she barely has to instruct them on what to do.
There are five maintenance staffers at the National Heroes Acre, Clerk Mashange, Sebastian Mukono, Oliver Mawanda, Reginald Katsvairo and Ngonidzashe Moyo. These are the unsung heroes that make sure the liberation heroes are soothed as they rest at the coveted national shrine.
With the annual Heroes Day holiday around the corner, the whole country is going to bear witness the quintet’s hard work when the usual events are broadcast and receive coverage.
It is important that the nation recognises the men who sweat to keep our heritage in impeccable form and shape.
Online Reporter