News / International
Zanu PF-UK celebrated 2015 Heroes Day
12 Aug 2015 at 06:40hrs | Views
Zanu PF United Kingdom chapter on August 10 celebrated the Zimbabwe's National Heroes day in the foreign lands amid for all nationals never to forget the struggled waged by the living and departed liberation fighters against the Rhodesian regime.
ZANU PF UK Chairman Nick Mangwana said as they all commemorate Heroes Day it was important to remember the gallant children of Zimbabwe who were martyred.
"Their brave spirits never knew no defeat even as the lay bleeding to their death or as they smouldered under the ferocity of Rhodesian napalm atrocity," said Mangwana.
"We should never take for granted that which they died for. The empowerment of the then marginalised black people as well as equal treatment under the law. Our peace and those rights we now take for granted were purchased through the blood and self-sacrifice of those brave hearts."
He said this day was set aside, lest we forget Mboroma, Nyadzonia, Chimoio and all the unheralded places were Zimbabwean blood was spilt in a the concerted effort to liberate the motherland.
"We should never forget that both the living and the dead are the authors of the peace that prevail in the land of Zimbabwe," he said.
"Though this country faces economic challenges, though this country come into the spotlight of the world and our economy is undermined in devious ways, we should never forget what it took for us to be called Zimbabweans."
He said there are those families who were never given the opportunity to bury their loved ones.
"Those whose loved ones never returned. They waited and waited and lit a candle to keep their hope burning. 1980 went, some thought may be their loved ones were in East Germany for some specialized training. 1981 came and some of those returned," said Mangwana.
"Those in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Poland and the Soviet Union trickled in still some loved ones were not among these. Still the candle was left to burn. Year after year they never lost hope. For how could they? There was no one to tell them for real what happened to their loved ones. The Berlin Wall even tumbled, still they held on to hope. Now their heads are telling them it's over but their hearts continue to hope. They pray to just hear what happened. They hope one day they will know where the remains are interred. These are families that will never know closure. And these are families we should never forget."
Mangwana said "Our fallen heroes had visions they wanted fulfilled in a New Zimbabwe. They had hopes and aspirations. It is these hopes and aspirations so noble that they found it worthy to sacrifice their lives for. It will be a tragedy if in selfishness we dash those Liberation Struggle objectives; the ones about an egalitarian society. It will be a disaster if we rob the future generations of the ideals that were espoused by those that have been buried at the National Shrine but more importantly, it will be betrayal if we let down those whose blood was shed in the wilderness. We cannot leave their spirits to continue to cry for the beloved country as their blood did when life was gashing out of bodies."
He said those who lie at the Heroes Acre only represent thousands of our brothers and sister, aunts and uncles and in cases mothers and fathers who lie in shallow graves.
"Including those whose bones are now entangled in mass graves and mine shafts. Those who are not so esteemed because they are only represented by the Unknown Soldier. Those whose names we have now forgotten but whose families their name they will never forget," he said.
"As a nation we have a duty to build a Memoriam Wall at the national shrine where every name of a verified Fallen Hero not buried thereat is written. The humble and the esteemed. Those who died during the war and those that did not survive the peace should be indelibly inscribed on that wall as a lasting memoriam."
"We might bury them at Provincial Heroes Acres or the District Heroes Acres but their names should be on the same wall with all their comrades. It is time to take note of our unsung heroes. Those that have never gone out to seek plaudits and accolades. Those that never got a chance to be defiled by impunity and entitlement. Those that died in battle and in a strange way were spared the agony of disappointment," he added.
He said the disappointment of seeing some of the liberated yearn for Rhodesia. The disappointment of seeing some of their fellow liberators laying claim to every spoil forgetting the masses.
"Those that also bore the brunt of the Rhodesian wrath for providing succour to the freedom fighter. Those fallen comrades who never envisioned that their parents who were in "Keeps" would ever have their role relegated to inconsequential by a greedy minority that has forgotten the treasured Yu Chi Chan Principles of Chairman Mao," he said.
"As we celebrate Heroes Day comrades, we should never turn our backs on the very objectives for which our heroes died or sacrificed a great deal for."
ZANU PF UK Chairman Nick Mangwana said as they all commemorate Heroes Day it was important to remember the gallant children of Zimbabwe who were martyred.
"Their brave spirits never knew no defeat even as the lay bleeding to their death or as they smouldered under the ferocity of Rhodesian napalm atrocity," said Mangwana.
"We should never take for granted that which they died for. The empowerment of the then marginalised black people as well as equal treatment under the law. Our peace and those rights we now take for granted were purchased through the blood and self-sacrifice of those brave hearts."
He said this day was set aside, lest we forget Mboroma, Nyadzonia, Chimoio and all the unheralded places were Zimbabwean blood was spilt in a the concerted effort to liberate the motherland.
"We should never forget that both the living and the dead are the authors of the peace that prevail in the land of Zimbabwe," he said.
"Though this country faces economic challenges, though this country come into the spotlight of the world and our economy is undermined in devious ways, we should never forget what it took for us to be called Zimbabweans."
"Those whose loved ones never returned. They waited and waited and lit a candle to keep their hope burning. 1980 went, some thought may be their loved ones were in East Germany for some specialized training. 1981 came and some of those returned," said Mangwana.
"Those in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Poland and the Soviet Union trickled in still some loved ones were not among these. Still the candle was left to burn. Year after year they never lost hope. For how could they? There was no one to tell them for real what happened to their loved ones. The Berlin Wall even tumbled, still they held on to hope. Now their heads are telling them it's over but their hearts continue to hope. They pray to just hear what happened. They hope one day they will know where the remains are interred. These are families that will never know closure. And these are families we should never forget."
Mangwana said "Our fallen heroes had visions they wanted fulfilled in a New Zimbabwe. They had hopes and aspirations. It is these hopes and aspirations so noble that they found it worthy to sacrifice their lives for. It will be a tragedy if in selfishness we dash those Liberation Struggle objectives; the ones about an egalitarian society. It will be a disaster if we rob the future generations of the ideals that were espoused by those that have been buried at the National Shrine but more importantly, it will be betrayal if we let down those whose blood was shed in the wilderness. We cannot leave their spirits to continue to cry for the beloved country as their blood did when life was gashing out of bodies."
He said those who lie at the Heroes Acre only represent thousands of our brothers and sister, aunts and uncles and in cases mothers and fathers who lie in shallow graves.
"Including those whose bones are now entangled in mass graves and mine shafts. Those who are not so esteemed because they are only represented by the Unknown Soldier. Those whose names we have now forgotten but whose families their name they will never forget," he said.
"As a nation we have a duty to build a Memoriam Wall at the national shrine where every name of a verified Fallen Hero not buried thereat is written. The humble and the esteemed. Those who died during the war and those that did not survive the peace should be indelibly inscribed on that wall as a lasting memoriam."
"We might bury them at Provincial Heroes Acres or the District Heroes Acres but their names should be on the same wall with all their comrades. It is time to take note of our unsung heroes. Those that have never gone out to seek plaudits and accolades. Those that never got a chance to be defiled by impunity and entitlement. Those that died in battle and in a strange way were spared the agony of disappointment," he added.
He said the disappointment of seeing some of the liberated yearn for Rhodesia. The disappointment of seeing some of their fellow liberators laying claim to every spoil forgetting the masses.
"Those that also bore the brunt of the Rhodesian wrath for providing succour to the freedom fighter. Those fallen comrades who never envisioned that their parents who were in "Keeps" would ever have their role relegated to inconsequential by a greedy minority that has forgotten the treasured Yu Chi Chan Principles of Chairman Mao," he said.
"As we celebrate Heroes Day comrades, we should never turn our backs on the very objectives for which our heroes died or sacrificed a great deal for."
Source - Byo24News
