'Zimbabwe govt must revisit national hero status'

Outspoken war veteran Andrew Ndlovu, a former Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (Zipra) regional zone commander for NF2, has called on government to urgently review the criteria used to confer national hero status, arguing that the current system distorts the history of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle.

Speaking to Southern Eye, Ndlovu said there has long been public concern that the official recognition of liberation war figures does not accurately reflect their actual contribution to the armed struggle against colonial rule.

He criticised what he described as a policy introduced during the late former President Robert Mugabe's era, which he said effectively guaranteed national hero status to retired brigadier generals and other senior officers regardless of their direct involvement in the liberation war.

"Being a freedom fighter does not automatically qualify someone for national hero status," Ndlovu said.

"Some of us received military training but never had the opportunity to engage the enemy directly inside Rhodesia. Such individuals cannot claim to have fought and defeated the Rhodesian forces."

Ndlovu said while many people contributed to the liberation struggle in different capacities, a distinction must be made between those who actively participated in guerrilla warfare and those who did not engage in combat operations inside Rhodesia.

He argued that several wartime commanders who led operations during the liberation struggle have been overlooked in the current honours system, despite their direct involvement in military operations that contributed to independence in 1980.

"Many of the commanders who led guerrilla operations during the liberation struggle are not being recognised as national heroes," he said.

He further claimed that after independence, some liberation fighters were demobilised or sidelined due to limited formal education, preventing them from advancing within post-independence military structures.

Ndlovu urged authorities to revise the selection framework to ensure it reflects the realities of the liberation war, including the roles played by zone commanders, front commanders and detachment commanders in both Zipra and Zanla formations.

"These were the people who led operations that weakened Rhodesian forces and paved the way for the Lancaster House ceasefire in 1980," he said.

"It should not be automatic that every senior army officer is accorded national hero status upon retirement."

He added that recognition for national hero status should prioritise those who actively participated in guerrilla warfare inside Rhodesia, rather than extending it to individuals based solely on rank attained after independence.

Ndlovu also drew a distinction between liberation war service and later military deployments, saying participation in post-independence peacekeeping missions should not be equated with the sacrifices made during the armed struggle.

"Those soldiers were serving as paid members of the national army. They were not engaged in a revolutionary struggle to liberate Zimbabwe from colonial rule," he said.

His remarks come amid renewed debate over how Zimbabwe recognises liberation war veterans, with some critics arguing that the current honours system has not adequately reflected the contributions of key commanders.

The discussion has also revived long-standing calls for a reassessment of several figures who some believe should have been accorded national hero status based on their wartime roles.