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Ex-ZPRA commander urges govt to rebury forgotten heroes
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A former regional commander of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) has made a passionate appeal to the government to prioritise the reburial of fallen liberation war fighters whose remains lie scattered and neglected across the country's former operational zones.
Andrew Ndlovu, who led the ZPRA's Northern Front 2 Regional Zone during the liberation struggle, expressed frustration in a formal letter to Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Minister Monica Mavhunga. He lamented the government's failure to safeguard the dignity of the war dead, many of whom were buried hastily in unmarked or makeshift graves during the armed conflict.
"This is not the first time I am appealing to the government to include in its budget a reburial program for comrades who died in the operational areas," wrote Ndlovu. "While I appreciate that something has been done in some zones, the situation in Northern Front 2 and other areas remains dire."
Ndlovu said he had personally visited several grave sites in his former region, only to find that many had been destroyed or eroded by rain, with remains left exposed to the elements.
"If the situation is not attended to while we are still alive as commanders of the liberation struggle, our comrades' bones will never rest in peace and their spirits will haunt us forever," he warned.
The former commander also appealed for posthumous recognition and support for civilians who supported the liberation struggle and died in the process. He said villagers who aided the fighters - often at great personal risk and cost - were the "unsung heroes" of the independence movement.
"I am requesting that the graves of villagers who died in support of the war effort be formally recognised, and their families be pensioned for lost property," he said.
Ndlovu's call comes as pressure mounts on authorities to fulfil long-standing promises to honour liberation fighters who never made it to formal Heroes Acre monuments. In 2024, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) urged Parliament to fast-track laws that would facilitate the exhumation and dignified reburial of ex-combatants buried in mass graves, particularly in former rear bases in Zambia and Mozambique.
The association also submitted a petition demanding state-led efforts to identify, repatriate, and rebury the remains of fallen comrades whose families have waited decades for closure.
In 2020, the remains of 11 suspected freedom fighters were recovered in Mutoko district and laid to rest at Kapondoro Heroes Acre. Mutoko, which borders Mozambique, was a key route used by recruits entering liberation training camps and witnessed fierce battles during the war.
Despite such isolated efforts, many war-time burial sites across the country remain unmarked, unprotected, and largely forgotten.
Veterans and historians warn that without urgent government action, the opportunity to properly document and memorialise the resting places of liberation heroes may soon be lost forever - along with the memories of those who fought and fell for Zimbabwe's independence.
Andrew Ndlovu, who led the ZPRA's Northern Front 2 Regional Zone during the liberation struggle, expressed frustration in a formal letter to Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Minister Monica Mavhunga. He lamented the government's failure to safeguard the dignity of the war dead, many of whom were buried hastily in unmarked or makeshift graves during the armed conflict.
"This is not the first time I am appealing to the government to include in its budget a reburial program for comrades who died in the operational areas," wrote Ndlovu. "While I appreciate that something has been done in some zones, the situation in Northern Front 2 and other areas remains dire."
Ndlovu said he had personally visited several grave sites in his former region, only to find that many had been destroyed or eroded by rain, with remains left exposed to the elements.
"If the situation is not attended to while we are still alive as commanders of the liberation struggle, our comrades' bones will never rest in peace and their spirits will haunt us forever," he warned.
The former commander also appealed for posthumous recognition and support for civilians who supported the liberation struggle and died in the process. He said villagers who aided the fighters - often at great personal risk and cost - were the "unsung heroes" of the independence movement.
"I am requesting that the graves of villagers who died in support of the war effort be formally recognised, and their families be pensioned for lost property," he said.
Ndlovu's call comes as pressure mounts on authorities to fulfil long-standing promises to honour liberation fighters who never made it to formal Heroes Acre monuments. In 2024, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) urged Parliament to fast-track laws that would facilitate the exhumation and dignified reburial of ex-combatants buried in mass graves, particularly in former rear bases in Zambia and Mozambique.
The association also submitted a petition demanding state-led efforts to identify, repatriate, and rebury the remains of fallen comrades whose families have waited decades for closure.
In 2020, the remains of 11 suspected freedom fighters were recovered in Mutoko district and laid to rest at Kapondoro Heroes Acre. Mutoko, which borders Mozambique, was a key route used by recruits entering liberation training camps and witnessed fierce battles during the war.
Despite such isolated efforts, many war-time burial sites across the country remain unmarked, unprotected, and largely forgotten.
Veterans and historians warn that without urgent government action, the opportunity to properly document and memorialise the resting places of liberation heroes may soon be lost forever - along with the memories of those who fought and fell for Zimbabwe's independence.
Source - Southern Eye
