Richard Muponde-Zimpapers Politics Hub
A PROPOSED law will facilitate the exhumation, repatriation and reburial of thousands of liberation war heroes who still lie in unmarked mass graves within the country and abroad, 45 years after independence.
The proposed legislation is currently being reviewed by Government lawyers before it undergoes the necessary processes until it is tabled in Parliament.
Minister of War Veterans Affairs Monica Mavhunga told a press conference in Harare yesterday that the Bill is part of a State-led programme to bring closure to the families of fallen heroes and preserve the memory of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
“As we continue to look after surviving veterans, it is not lost on Government that there is a need for memorialisation through repatriation, exhumation, reburials and related processes,” said Minister Mavhunga.
“This legislation is a key step towards fulfilling the promises made by comrades during the war that no one would be left behind.”
This initiative comes ahead of the Heroes and Defence Forces commemorations on August 11 and 12, which honour the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence.
This year’s commemorations will carry added weight, as efforts intensify to recover and rebury those whose remains still lie in unrecognised graves.
The Minister said the exhumation and reburial processes, though noble, are complex and require co-ordination among multiple Government ministries, veterans’ associations, political leadership, traditional authorities, Zanu PF and even foreign governments.
“The Ministry has approached the Office of the President and Cabinet to provide guidance on a coordinated approach,” she said.
“We are working hand-in-hand with the Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Local Government and Public Works; Foreign Affairs and International Trade and other stakeholders to ensure this is done in a dignified, inclusive and nationally guided manner.”
Minister Mavhunga acknowledged the efforts by trusts such as the Fallen Heroes Trust of Zimbabwe and traditional leaders who have already been working to locate and exhume bodies, particularly in districts such as Masvingo, Hurungwe, Sanyati, Rusape and other places.
“I want to sincerely appreciate the work being done by the trusts, traditional leaders and communities who have kept this memory alive.
“Their role in identifying graves has been invaluable,” Minister Mavhunga said.
Echoing these sentiments, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe, in a separate interview, emphasised the Government’s unwavering commitment to honouring all fallen heroes, regardless of where they died or which liberation movement they belonged to.
“These gallant sons and daughters are still our heroes.
“Whether they lie at the National Heroes Acre or in the bush, they are the foundation of our independence,” Minister Kazembe said.
“We are crafting not only policy, but also a historical correction. The journey towards their reburial has begun.”
Minister Mavhunga reiterated that fallen heroes beyond Zimbabwe’s borders would also be honoured.
“We are engaging neighbouring countries to assist with the identification and possible repatriation of our fighters.
“In cases where repatriation isn’t possible, we will ensure their resting places are marked and preserved,” Minister Mavhunga said.
With the Bill in motion and the exhumations underway by Fallen Heroes Trust of Zimbabwe, the Government says this marks a new chapter in fulfilling Zimbabwe’s promise to its liberators – one rooted in remembrance, dignity and national unity.
The latest exhumation by Fallen Heroes Trust of Zimbabwe, conducted a fortnight ago at Sanyati Rest Camp, uncovered the remains of 29 Zipra liberation fighters.
They will return to exhume 15 others, a mix of ZIPRA and ZANLA cadres who were killed in a bombing at Sanyati Bridge.
The operation, which took over a week, is part of a wider second phase of national exhumations being coordinated by the Fallen Heroes Trust of Zimbabwe.
A total of 64 identified remains, 55 ZIPRA and nine ZANLA, will soon be reburied at the Grand Parade in Hurungwe, in a joint ceremony.
The post Plan to rebury war heroes in unmarked graves underway appeared first on herald.
The post Plan to rebury war heroes in unmarked graves underway appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.