Thousands of Zimbabweans gathered at the National Heroes Acre in the capital Harare on Monday to celebrate the 44th anniversary of Heroes Day.
HARARE, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) — Thousands of Zimbabweans gathered at the National Heroes Acre in the capital Harare on Monday to celebrate the 44th anniversary of Heroes Day.
Heroes’ Day, a public holiday, is celebrated every second Monday in August to honour the fighters of the War of Liberation who took up arms to fight against British colonial rule.
The National Heroes Acre, a revered shrine, serves as the resting place of numerous veterans of the liberation struggle who were bestowed the title of national hero or heroine.
Zimbabweans, some dressed in the national colours, gathered at the National Monument on a hill above central Harare to mark the day at an event chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“Today we join together in remembering our brave fighters who made the supreme sacrifice to free our beautiful motherland from the grip of colonial rule and oppression,” Mnangagwa said in a televised address.
He said their extraordinary courage and the risks they took to ensure freedom for Zimbabweans will always be remembered.
“As we celebrate Heroes’ Day, we should not take for granted the independence and freedom we enjoy today. It was won through the sacrifices of the brave men and women who fought against the brutal racist colonial regime,” he said. “I therefore urge each of us to emulate their lives by doing our part in laying the foundations for a more prosperous future for the present and future generations.”
Mnangagwa said the government was aware of the need to commemorate the liberation war through repatriation, reburial and similar processes to provide closure to the families of deceased veterans.
Mnangagwa spoke of the progress Zimbabwe has made over the years, saying the economy continues to show positive growth. “Our mining sector continues to benefit from investments in new and existing projects.”
Projects to modernise and expand infrastructure in the transport sector would continue to deliver excellent results, he said, adding that value-added and refining activities would also be expanded in the manufacturing sector.
Zimbabwe gained its independence in 1980 after a liberation struggle in which many veterans lost their lives.
Heroes’ Day is celebrated together with Defense Forces Day, which is observed the following day to pay tribute to the country’s defense forces. ■
