The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporters
ZIMBABWE will over the next two days celebrate the Heroes’ and Defence Forces holidays, as the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa delivers on its promises which are consistent with aspirations carried by freedom fighters when they joined the liberation struggle.
The 2021 main Heroes’ Day commemorations will be held tomorrow at the National Heroes Acre with a small gathering of 200 people that include selected war veterans, spouses of heroes and the youth.
Heroes’ Day Commemorations will also be held at all provincial shrines where Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution will officiate. Gatherings are limited to 50 people.
On Heroes’ Day, President Mnangagwa will confer medals to 16 outstanding Zimbabweans from different sectors and disciplines. These are given to citizens whose contributions have impacted the country positively in recent times.
The categories are named after major minerals found in the country; gold, platinum, silver and bronze. All these categories carry equal weight in terms of honour.
In provinces, Ministers of State will also confer medals to nominees within their jurisdictions.
Defence Forces Day celebrations will be held on Tuesday at State House in Harare with the rest of the nation following proceedings on virtual platforms.
When President Mnangagwa got into office, he pledged to steer Zimbabwe towards a prosperous path, an undertaking whose fulfilment inches closer to reality with each passing day.
The Zimbabwean economy is on an upward rise, with projections that it is set to outpace the region’s.
War veterans say the outcomes from President Mnangagwa’s policies are consistent with what inspired them to pick up arms.
Reflecting on the state of affairs on the eve of Heroes’ Day, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said President Mnangagwa is fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of gallant heroes who sacrificed to fight for the liberation struggle.
“As they lie at National Heroes Acre and its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in mass graves of genocidal massacres, mine shafts and unmarked graves scattered across the width and length of Zimbabwe, their spirits yearn for the actuality of national prosperity they fought and sacrificed for,” said Ambassador Mutsvangwa.
Zimbabwe is enjoying one of its biggest harvests in recent times. Many believe this marks the turnaround of the country’s food security fortunes.
“Granaries have been filled up, breaking a 20-year jinx of food shortages. Commercial farming is in full restoration as centre pivots dot the land for all season farming. Scientific Pfumvudza/Intwasa is revolutionising small scale farming as tiny plots deliver outsize harvests. Solar pumps powered by photovoltaic panels feed into drip lines,” said Ambassador Mutsvangwa.
The ZDF’s 2021 theme says: The Zimbabwe Defence Forces creating a conducive environment for the attainment of vision 2030.
In her Zimbabwe Defence Forces day interface with the media, Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri laid out the projects that are being undertaken by the ZDF.
“The Zimbabwe Defence Forces Benefit Fund constructs houses for individual members. The Fund also buys stands from city councils and municipalities on behalf of its members. To date, the Fund has managed to buy over 10 136 stands and has delivered 5 383 houses to its members,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.
She said this feeds into the national housing plan which is targeting 220 000 houses by 2025.
“There are also plans to construct 90 three-storey flats in Dzivarasekwa and 40 flats in Imbizo, Bulawayo. Each flat will have 4×3 bedroomed units, bringing the total to 1 500 three-bedroomed units,” Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri added.
In a separate statement, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Phillip Valerio Sibanda affirmed the military’s commitment to the grand vision of an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
“Key programmes in the fifth decade are being carried within the context of vision 2030 and also my vision of the ZDF which is to have a well-trained, disciplined, professional land and Air Force capable of carrying out the organisation’s constitutional mandate to contain traditional and non-traditional security threats,” said General Sibanda.
