Zipra to visit Freedom Camp and Nampundu near Lusaka

The Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (Zipra) veterans say they are planning to visit sites where many of their cadres died and were buried during the country's liberation struggle.

Zipra spokesperson Chester Chizema said the tours would be conducted in July with visits to Freedom Camp and Nampundu near Lusaka. However he said they have not put up date as yet but we will be traveling in July.

Zipra said it is not going to be a once-off thing, but the visits will be followed by numerous other trips by other ranks. Some members have been there before but this is the first time that we are organising this trip from the Zipra High Command. On the first trip they said they will be travelling with members of a specific rank.

Zipra was the most disciplined armed wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, which fought alongside Zanu PF's Zanla forces during the country's liberation war against Ian Smith's government.

Zipra, were in a formal alliance with Umkhonto weSizwe, African National Congress' military wing, and had their bases in Zambia and crossing points into Zimbabwe were at Feira also in Zambia.

Chizema said Zipra used to have logistical and communications department stationed in Nampundu.

The trips will be to areas like Solwezi near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia and they will also go to Angola and Tanzania.

Zimbabwe celebrates its independence on April 18 every year.

Last week, the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity organised a trip to Chimoio and Nyadzonia in Mozambique, where Zanla combatants operated from.