A fitting tribute to Manicaland

Kuda Bwititi

Political Editor

SINCE the Government’s decision to rotate hosting of the main Independence Day celebrations among provinces, Manicaland takes centre stage on Thursday. It will host the grand event in Murambinda, Buhera district.

Bulawayo and Mashonaland Central, respectively, have had their turn in the last two years.

Manicaland is key to the story of the liberation of Zimbabwe, as it literally provided the road to independence, especially as a thoroughfare for guerilla incursions from neighbouring Mozambique, from where the liberation fighters were based.

Thousands of courageous young Zimbabweans travelled through Manicaland’s hilly terrain on their way to Mozambique.

Even today, shrines and memorials in honour of fallen heroes are scattered throughout the province.

Hosting this year’s Independence Day celebrations, therefore, becomes a fitting tribute to the province.

Here, we turn our spotlight on some of the special areas within the province, some of which were published in The Sunday Mail over the past month.

These sites stand as powerful symbols and reminders of the immense value Manicaland holds in the nation’s liberation history.

Matumba National Shrine

Located just outside Mutare, the Matumba National Shrine stands as a solemn testament to the sacrifices made during Zimbabwe’s fight for independence. During the colonial era, the area used to be a disused mine.

Over 600 liberation fighters were laid to rest here after their remains were recovered from the disused mine, where they were callously dumped by the Rhodesian security forces.

The Manicaland Identification, Exhumation and Reburial of Fallen Heroes Trust (MIERFHT) works tirelessly to locate and identify remains of fallen heroes to give them a proper burial.

MIERFHT also works with the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) and well-wishers to safeguard the place.

ZNLWVA chairperson for Manicaland Cde Gift Kagweda, who is also the head of MIERFHT, said the Matumba National Shrine serves as a powerful reminder of the brutality faced by those who dared to fight for freedom.

“Our duty is to carry out reburials of people who were killed here during the liberation struggle. We also rebury those who were killed in other parts of the province or Mozambique. Spirit mediums help us in locating those who were killed during the war. We are working hard to ensure that the Matumba National Shrine remains a place of remembrance and education for generations to come.”

Dzapasi Assembly Point

After the basic agreement on the ceasefire between the warring parties was reached on December 5, 1979 (the 86th day of the Lancaster House Conference), the Rhodesian security forces and the Patriotic Front (PF) — an alliance between ZANU and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union — had to stop all cross-border military undertakings on December 21, 1979.

From December 29, 1979 to January 4, 1980, armed freedom fighters were all required to enter the nearest of the 16 assembly points (APs) that had been created. It is estimated that 30 000 PF fighters had gathered in APs by the time of the February 27-29 elections.

The Dzapasi Assembly Point in Buhera, Manicaland, had the highest number of comrades. In fact, in February 1980, it was the site of the symbolic handshake between ZANLA Commander Cde Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) and Rhodesian army commander Major-General Bert Barnard.

It was also an epochal moment, which marked the lowering of the Union Jack and hoisting of the Zimbabwe flag, signifying an end of an era for the Rhodesians and a new dawn for Zimbabweans. NMMZ’s eastern region acting director Mr Lloyd Makonya said Dzapasi, which was first known as Foxtrot Assembly Point, is a significant signpost of Zimbabwe’s independence.

The assembly point, he added, played a central role in the integration and building of the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Rusape’s “Butcher Site”

It is here where the lives of hundreds of liberation fighters, war collaborators and civilians came to a brutal end in unfathomable circumstances between 1976 and 1980. What now remains at the place, commonly referred to as the “Butcher Site”, are concrete slabs, blair toilets and huge trenches, which stand as silent witnesses to the brutality of the Rhodesian security forces. The methods that were used to kill those unfortunate to be condemned were nothing short of sadistic and evil.

“Victims were hanged by the chin using butcher hooks whilst their bodies were raised as shooting targets,” said Cde Morrison Ndlovu, a war veteran who served in Rusape as a soldier after independence.

Matendera Monument

Nestled in the heart of Buhera district is a stone-walled structure that resembles the Great Zimbabwe Monument. It is known for its unique decorations in the dry-stone walling that includes two monoliths at the top of the perimeter wall.

The Matendera Monument’s design has led archaeologists to believe it is the handiwork of the same people who built the Great Zimbabwe.

The monuments are understood to have been constructed in the 17th century, just as the Great Zimbabwe state was declining.

As Zimbabwe holds its Independence Day celebrations in Buhera on April 18, Matendera Monument, which is seen as a “Mini Great Zimbabwe”, serves as a towering reminder of the greatness, fortitude and resilience that enabled Zimbabwe to defeat colonialism and look to the future with hope.

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