HISTORIC POSTCARD FROM BUHERA

Kuda Bwititi recently in BUHERA

FOR the people of Buhera, Manicaland province, memories from last week’s main Independence Day celebrations will live with them forever.

It was historic, as the province became the third after Bulawayo and Mashonaland Central province to host the annual commemorations after a decision was made by the Second Republic to rotate the key national event.

Murambinda B Secondary School was the venue of this year’s festivities.

Although people came from different parts of the country, the residents of Buhera are the ones who will forever savour memories of what they described as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

When President Mnangagwa and First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa arrived at the venue, just after 11am, the stadium was already packed to the rafters.

Ebenezzer Munyono, from Munyono village in Buhera, said it all seemed surreal.

“Today is one of the best days of my life. I am extremely proud, as a resident of Buhera, that we have been given the privilege to host this major event.

“This has never happened in my 60 years on this earth. I want to thank the President for giving us this honour to be a centre of attraction for the nation.”

Munyono also thanked the Second Republic for changing people’s lives for the better.

“Our Government has done so much for us and we are truly grateful. In my village, devolution funds were used to build Charambira Primary School and our children are now attending class close to home, compared to previous years, when they used to walk for several kilometres for education,” he said.

Nomatter Mapanga, from Chirozva village in Nyashanu, Buhera, proudly claimed to be one of the first people to enter the stadium.

“We arrived at the venue just after 4am because the buses picked us up at around 2am,” she said.

“For me, the most important thing has been the development of schools in Buhera. Murambinda B was a secondary school, but now it is a high school, courtesy of the Second Republic. It is good to see our children advancing their education because they are the leaders of tomorrow. I also enjoyed the displays from our children.”

For Tevedzerai Ndunje, seeing the President and First Lady live for the first time in her life made her day.

“This was my first time seeing the President and the First Lady. I only used to see them on television,” she said.

Food vendors were equally elated.

“I did not manage to get into the venue because of the large numbers of people. There was so much pressure at the gate. However, as a vendor, I managed to record good business today and I was happy to come here,” said Enacy Munambo, a vendor from Mutare who sells various kinds of foodstuff.

Shadreck Gotora, an artisanal miner from Hartzell in Mutare, said he was overjoyed.

“I arrived here at about 5am by a bus provided to us by our Member of Parliament, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, who is also the Minister of State for our province.

“As artisanal miners, we thank the Government for the opportunity that they have given us to empower ourselves. I came here so that I could see the President in person . . . ,” he said.

Thursday’s event brought Murambinda to a virtual standstill.

Proceedings began on Wednesday with the hosting of the Children’s Party. Scores of children from all the country’s provinces performed in front of the President, showcasing their skills in various artistic disciplines.

On Thursday, by 5am, people had already started lining up at the venue.

By 8am, the stadium was full and many failed to enter.

The official programme then commenced, with members of the security forces and other performers exhibiting various mass displays.

During the day, various artistes performed, including sungura maestro Alick Macheso.

The crowd was also treated to a music carnival during the Independence Gala that was held until the wee hours of Friday, with over 20 artistes performing.

It was a first for many to see their favourite artistes live in action.

Another highlight of the day was the football match that pitted football giants Dynamos and Highlanders.

Again, for many in the crowd, it was a first to watch the country’s most popular football teams.

At the stadium, 44 flags that symbolised the country’s 44th anniversary fluttered throughout the day.

Most dignitaries were elegantly dressed.

Overall, for the people of Buhera, April 18, 2024 will always be cherished.