Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya in Zezani, Beitbridge
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga has lit the Independence Flame at Juliet (Zezani) Assembly Point to kick-start the roadshow in the province ahead of national celebrations set for Maphisa Growth Point in Matobo District.
The ceremony was witnessed by a large crowd of community members drawn from across the province.
The lighting ceremony marks the beginning of the Independence Flame roadshow, which will traverse the province’s seven districts before culminating at the national celebrations.
Lighting the flame symbolises freedom and unity, igniting a sense of national pride.
The Vice President is being accompanied by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, Matabeleland South Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe, and Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda, among other senior Government officials.
Officially known as Juliet Assembly Point, the Zezani historic site played a crucial role during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, serving as a gathering point for ZIPRA and ZANLA forces under Commonwealth supervision.
It is the only assembly point in the province and one of 16 such centres countrywide, and is located at the former Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) campsite.
The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) developed the monument, which features an Independence Flame stand, flagpoles, a metal silhouette of a soldier, an interpretive house and an interpretive board.
