Independence celebration preps gather momentum

Sunday Mail Reporter

PREPARATIONS for this year’s 44th Independence Day celebrations and the 2024 Children’s Party to be held in Manicaland province are at an advanced stage, with some of the key infrastructure now in place at the two venues.

The Independence Day celebrations will be held at Murambinda B High School in Buhera on April 18, in line with the Government’s drive to decentralise key national programmes and events.

More than 70 000 people are expected to be part of the celebrations.

Murambinda A Primary School will host the Children’s Party on April 17.

This year’s commemorations will be held under the theme “Zim@44: Unity, Peace and Development Towards Vision 2030”.

Presently, contractors are finalising work on roads leading to the venue, while clearing of the sports field is also progressing well. Speaking after touring the venue on Friday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister Joshua Sacco said the authorities are happy with the progress.

“The sports field that will be used for the independence celebrations and for the soccer match between Dynamos and Highlanders is being worked on,” he said.

“The Birchenough Bridge-Murambinda road will be graded and will get spot gravelling. The road will eventually be tarred in the future. The tarred road linking Murambinda will be patched and rehabilitated,” he said.

Speaking to our Manicaland Bureau, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said: “We have hit the ground running. We have 18 organising committees in place and they have already put their shoulders on the wheel. We have mobilised the necessary manpower and equipment to ensure that the venue will be ready well before the event.

“We want to ensure that we have the biggest celebrations ever witnessed outside Harare, which was the traditional venue.”

Minister Mugadza called on war veterans who camped at the Dzapasi Assembly Point during the liberation war ceasefire between 1979 and 1980 to converge on the place to receive the Independence Flame.

“Buhera contributed a lot during the liberation struggle and therefore it is befitting to have the celebrations in this district.

“The Independence Flame will be coming to the venue before April 18. It will pass through The Butcher in Rusape and Dzapasi Assembly Point before being taken to the venue, which is Murambinda B High School.

“We are calling upon all war veterans who were at Dzapasi Assembly Point to converge on the place to receive the Independence Flame. This is a special way of honouring them. We will forever be grateful for the sacrifices they made to liberate this country,” said Minister Mugadza.