Zanu PF must stop privatising national hero selection
By: MDC STATEMENT
Published: Friday July 30, 2010
ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Respect for national institutions and events and the participation in these national programs and events is core to the question of non-partisan respect for the country’s national heroes.
It is an issue recognised by all the parties in the ruling coalition and is enshrined in Article VIII Section 8.1 of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).Since 1980, Zanu PF has monopolised the selection process and accorded hero status only to its party members in Zimbabwe.
The criterion being used to accord hero status in Zimbabwe is questionable.
This process has been shrouded in secrecy with party structures and not government institutions solely determining who can benefit from this now thoroughly discredited status. Many of the so-called liberation heroes have a chequered history of violence and murder, demonstrating the opposite of the ideals of the liberation struggle that Zanu PF so relentlessly harp on.
Zanu PF has declared itself heroes of this country and expects Zimbabweans to blindly honour them upon their death.
My foot! Unimaginable! Yet this is the sorry case in Zimbabwe today. What has happened to former Zapu leaders, widows of the late so-called heroes and other former freedom fighters? They have been reduced to destitutes, their livelihoods totally destroyed.
Because of cronyism so rampant in that dying party, they have been forced to blindly follow Zanu PF policies hook, line and sinker, and in that vein, destroying their individual credibility in the eyes of Zimbabweans.
The war veterans who murdered Patrick Nabanyama in Bulawayo, because of the partisan selection procedure set out by Zanu PF, have been accorded national hero status.
The partisan decision making process used by Zanu PF is based on the discredited and backward notion of ‘one – party state’ that the party advocated for in the early 1980s and only fell through after vehement opposition from Edgar Tekere – the former Zanu PF -secretary general.
The decision making process is based on Zanu PF structures (cells,wards and districts coordinating committees through to provinces and the central committee up to the politburo) who weigh eligibility on party activism and not contribution to national development.
As a result of this skewed decision making, since independence Zimbabwean heroes are associated with the archaic Zanu PF. And strict compliance and cheerleading is of paramount importance.
The party has been quick to strip hero status to formerly ‘gallant’ sons who would have fallen foul with the former liberation party. Why was neither Ndabaningi Sithole nor Patrick Kombayi awarded hero status when they contributed incalculably to the liberation movement and later on to the democratization of the country of their birth?
Why are they not heroes? Could this mean that for one to be accorded national hero status, one needs to be a card carrying Zanu PF member? Whoever said Mbuya Nehanda or Sekuru Kaguvi had a Zanu PF membership card? No.
These were Zimbabweans fighting universal freedom and democracy, as was the case with Tonderai Ndira and Lookout Masuku. They did not need a Zanu PF party card, for what is it worth, other than protection against unwarranted violence after all?
At the funeral of Lookout ‘Mafela’ Khalisabantu Vumindaba Masuku, on 12 April 1986, at the Lady Stanley cemetery, Dr Joshua Nkomo said: “He is not being buried at the Heroes’ acre. But they can’t take away his status as a hero.
You don’t give a man the status of a hero. All you can do is recognise it. It is his. Yes, he can be forgotten temporarily by the state. But the young people who do research will one day unveil what Lookout has done.”
Dr Nkomo’s summation says it all. Once this process is subjected to party decision making process, as is the case on the selection of national heroes, then the whole credibility of the process is lost. Zanu PF may rant and rave and try to monopolise this important national event as is usual during this time of the year, but to what end? Do Zimbabweans ever notice this event anymore? No, not at all.
That is why Joshua Nkomo’s son can stand up today to tell the nation that his father did not wish to be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre. What the inclusive government needs to do is clearly define what a hero is.Set out an all–inclusive process for according hero status on Zimbabweans regardless of whether they participated in the liberation struggle or not.
We cannot use participation in the liberation war as the only basis for achieving hero status, otherwise what shall happen when all freedom fighters are past their time on earth. Do we then close the Heroes Acre?
Since the formation of the MDC, the party has lost more than 10 000 cadres in the struggle for democracy; these are as much Zimbabwean heroes as any other before them.
These men and women have been murdered by the so called Zanu PF heroes. Joseph Chinotimba has been gloating that he died for this country and must have already identified and engraved his spot at the National Heroes acre,yet we all know what he was up to in Buhera in June 2008.
If the existing selection process allows Zanu PF structures to exclusively plan, organise and run the heroes event, that would a breach of both the spirit and letter of the GPA, as it goes against the grain of the notion of nation rebuilding as purported by the national healing process currently being propelled by the parties in the inclusive government.
There is merit in the MDC’s yester year position in refusing to participate in such partisan events until they begin to imbed the notion of inclusivity.
MDC heroes must be eligible for selection with ease. For starters, the core ministers of home affairs should be made responsible for this year’s event. Songs such as ‘Zimbabwe yakawuya neropa’ , cannot continue to be abused and be used to intimidate Zimbabweans and mobilise others to kill fellow citizens as was the case with Talent Mabika and Chiminya in 2000 or Beta Chokururama, Sheperd Jani and Tonderai Ndira in 2008.
In any case, who said only politicians qualify to be national heroes? Gallant sons and daughters in sports, music, arts and business have equally lifted the national flag high by their achievements in their various disciplines. Do they need a Zanu PF card first so that they qualify to be heroes or heroines in the country of their birth?
Sandra Mutsimba is an information officer in the Department of Information and Publicity in the MDC. She can be contacted at sandrmuts@yahoo.com
dont worry we will dig out all those who dont deserve to be there when time comes
This whole Heroes thing is the daftest, nauseating, self-congratulatory and myopic thing to be invented in black rule.
During colonialism we were told that the nationalists were struggling to eradicate inequality in society only for the nationalists to perpetuate the same inequality by inventing exclusive special burial places for themselves and their cronies something which they accused the whites of doing on racial grounds. There shall come a time when all so-called heroes will all be considered dead – roughly around 2030 – what happens then? What if a no-hero-in-society politician takes over as President and decides to do what modern Georgia did to Stalin's statue [removed from view and placed at some secret location in his home state of Georgia]? If it was me I would have all graves exhumed and these so-called heroes re-buried in their home areas paid for by the relatives.
It's a bit rich for the MDC to criticise this Heroes nonsense when their leader attends the so-called Heroes ceremonies all the time giving the usual excuse 'inclusivity'.
That which is illegal, illegitimate, according to the dictates, rights, and gurantees of the constitution (ah! what rights and constitutionif you are not a card carrying zanu-pf stooge —- forgive me I forgot) should never be condoned at times, and negated on other occasions. If and when something is wrong, it is wrong and should be condemned in no uncertain terms.
Therefore MDCeers, and other parties should stay away from the Heroes Acres and all its activities sanctioned, and as determined in the sole umbrella of zanu-pf. This should not be construed as disrespect for the HEROES who lay therein, but a total negation of the totalirianism of mugabe, his cronies, and the whole zanu-pf goon squad.
For instance, it should be made clear that we are not opposed to Sabina being buried at HEROES Acre, but we are vehemently opposed at the process which employed in deciding her ascendancy to heroine. I repeat, I am nowhere near — ah– ooh —- yet questioning her role in the struggle, but how she got to HEROES ACRE.
I just want lessen her chances of exhumation after ah! 'REGIME CHANGE' do you hear me BUSH and BLAIR thats why its not raining in Zim! alas I digress.
In as much as Zanoids have the right to denigrate their opponents the level of stooping has been unprecedented. If you are party of the people why then are intimidating the people that you claim to support you? If you the masters of the Liberation struggle why are people abandoning your coach? There are simple principles that make life meaningful but Zanoids have failed to learn the simple minds of ordinary people. Their support bas has been sinking since the level of greediness took their reason to respect life. I wish Zanoids would relaise the hate they derive in the minds of every person with a fair minded brain. People are tired of Zanoids evil but you what nothing last forever the generation trying to emulate the geriactricks has no spine and willsoon be curving to the rule of law and international Law. No sane man can survive isolation for ever as long her is normal.
Zanoids have trusted violence to level they are now known as robbers, thugs, rapers, torturerers, muderers and the great Satans of Zimbabwe but the old are now disappearing one by one God is calling the shots and no one says no to the call of God.__The Pharors of Zimbabwe are on their path to the demise of their families as most of then have blood in their palms. God will reward each murderer according to the role they play. We will watch and clap hands when the had of God picks the evil from the victims of tyranny.
The issue of Heros is a for gone problem just as the issue of independence we all no longer have. Let the Zanoids make heros that we know as murderers and thugs. It is in their heads that murderers are heros.
I feel if MDC was to stand for reality it was never going to be part of these poluted Heros claims but political party PR has distored the whole honest idea of heros. We no longer live in an honest world. That is why people are beaten and murdered for voting their choice. You have to prostitute you hearts and mind if you are want to survive. Honestly there no poing in attaending the Heros burial of a person who has been party to distroying the country and its people.
SAD enough the MDC has to there cheating itself on its moral standing. Betraying its own dead killed by the current Fake Zanu PF party heros and heroines.
Zimbabean Music at http://www.zimetromusic.com
Yes, she was a heroine! At least in ZANU pf's eyes, since she managed to uphold its principles of corruption, abuse, theft, murder of innocent civilians and so many wrongs done to the masses of Zimbabwe. However, I hope to on one day live to see the day when we dig up the filthy remains of this despicable scum of the earth from this undeserving location and relocation them to Warren Hills or Zvimba Hills. Thank you.
hero/heroine moyo wako
Zanu pf is zimbabwe and holds the right to appoint or disappoint heroes.we fought the war alone with the assistance of the so called zapu but today with zapu no longer there it is the responsibility of the only party zanu pf to appoint hero status.thank you
Some peole post nonsense without any recourse to their datsrtdly responses..
First of all we have our own history .. some son of a gun posted that rhodesian didn't have a shrine what is their legacy? Did rhodesian figt fight and win a revolution like we did..NO! SIR they just came to pur country and lpundered our resorces
MAY HER SOUL REST IN ETRNAL PEAACCE>>CONDOLENCES TO PATRICJ "ZHUWIE" ZHUWAWO!
Nanzelela anoti: Ko yekusvirisa kwaBona munoyiona sei sei?
Ah hapana kunzi daidzirai masanction ba apa. Its national hero status something which only patriots understand? MDC mahero avo ndivana Blair, Bennette, Bush Ian Smith, Peter Walls, etc.
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