Dabengwa writing memoirs, documenting ‘true' history

ZAPU leader Dumiso Dabengwa on Tuesday said he was now taking time to write his memoirs and documenting the country's "true" history, as he embarks on his journey of withdrawing from active politics.

The former Home Affairs minister said the Dumiso Dabengwa Foundation, which he unveiled in the city, would help tell the story of his life and the country's history, dating back to the liberation struggle.

He said the true history, in particular about the liberation struggle, remains undocumented, and there are "living legends that have untold accounts" and "these sources need to be tapped and properly documented".

"I have reached the conclusion that there surely must come a time when one returns to normal life and has time to look back and put something back to society, while disengaging from dependency on political office of one kind or another.

"The foundation, therefore, allows me a soft landing, but also takes care of my desire to tell and reflect on the story of my life and that of my comrades who shared experiences and situations," Dabengwa said.

"My generation was shaped by the liberation struggle. We had to respond to the challenges and requirements of waging a war imposed by the intransigence of the racist colonial regime. In most cases, we did not have the luxury of fully documenting our experiences, as we escalated the armed struggle beyond what we could have imagined at its inception.

"The roles played by individuals and the fate of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice were not adequately documented.

Through the foundation, I hope to contribute to the gathering and preservation of the recent and living history of our struggle."

Dabengwa joins the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) ex-combatants welfare association that has also said it is re-writing its liberation war history.

ZPRA argues the country's history is distorted, as it downplays the role the armed wing played during the liberation struggle.