Heroes Acre is for us – Mugabe

Speaking at the burial of the late Zanu PF Deputy National Commissar Ephraim Masawi who was unilaterally declared a national hero by Zanu PF’s Politburo in violation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which stipulates that Mugabe consult his partners MDC-T and MDC-M in the shacky coalition government, Mugabe said only those who performed

‘heroic acts should be buried at the shrine.

“Heroes’ Acre ndeye varwi verusununguko haisi yevatsvene (the heroes Acre is for people who participated in the war of liberation and not for the holy). Here we want those of the Chimurenga (War of Liberation). We do not want those who are good at sports or at the factories or farming. If we need such heroes we will have to find them another burial mountain. The people who are here are by virtue of having participated in the Chimurenga war,” said Mugabe.

Mugabe defended his party’s unilateral decision to grant hero status to party Ephraim Masawi who did not take part in the Chimurenga war, saying that Masawi has a track record.

“There are some who say that Masawi should not have been granted a burial at the Hero’s Acre but that is not true. When the Politburo there was an overwhelming agreement to grant him hero’s status,” said Mugabe.

The burial of Masawi at the national shrine comes barely a month after the Vice President of the smaller MDC formation who had a traceable history that led to the two MDC parties to ask for him to be accorded hero status. Zanu PF refused to even consider Sibanda a hero.

Instead of making the Hero’s Acre a national monument Social Commentator Proffesser Gordon Chavhunduku said that Mugabe’s statement at the national burial shrine were shocking as there are so many people in Zimbabwe who have done heroic deeds.

“We have so many people of note who have done good things for Zimbabwe. The decision to name a person a hero should not be that of Zanu PF. Instead a committee should be set that will determine whether to confer hero’s status or not as is the case with universities when one is given an honorary degree,” said Chavhunduka.

Zimbabwe has produced fine heroes who were not accorded heroes’ status such as Professor Solomon Mutsvairo who composed the national anthem and Jairos Jiri the found of the association for the disabled people in Zimbabwe. Zanu founding father Ndabaningi Sithole who participated in the liberation struggle was also not recognised because he was no

longer a member of Zanu PF.