Vusumuzi Dube
Zimbabwe plans to erect monuments in neighbouring Mozambique and Angola in memory of fallen heroes of the
country’s armed liberation struggle, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
Zimbabwe annually every August holds commemorations to remember its fallen and living heroes of the armed struggle that resulted in the country gaining independence from Britain in 1980.
Addressing the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Day in Harare, President Mnangagwa said the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with other ministries, departments and agencies are working at memorialising the country’s liberation heritage.
A monument and health centre are being built in the Massinga district of Inhambane province in Mozambique.
“This is in memory and remembrance of our late national hero, General Josiah Magama Tongogara. In the same spirit, a Memorandum of Understanding with Angola will see the construction of a similar monument and the preservation of mass graves of our fallen heroes, whose remains lie in Angola,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said as a “Friend to all and an enemy of none,” Zimbabwe firmly subscribes to diplomacy and dialogue as the sustainable route for the resolution of conflicts, disputes and differences and stands ready to play its part for the realisation of the African Union’s quest for ‘silence the guns.’
The ZDF presently has officers deployed to United Nations missions and other peace support missions under the mandate of the AU.
“With regards to humanitarian efforts, obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention are being honoured with the ongoing clearance of landmines and other explosive remnants of war. The work by the ZDF and its partners towards a mine free Zimbabwe by 2025 is noteworthy,” President Mnangagwa said.
New Ziana
Online Reporter