Chimoio shrine goes under massive restoration

28 Oct, 2016 - 00:10 0 Views
Chimoio shrine goes under massive restoration

The ManicaPost

Samuel Kadungure recently in Chimoio, Mozambique

THE sacred Chimoio Shrine is now undergoing  massive  renovations  after Savanna Tobacco injected $30 000 for the setting up of a museum which will exhibit and re-memorise its unique liberation war heritage.

Work in the exhibition centre is expected to be complete within three weeks and Government has been challenged to avail an additional $100 000 to revamp the shrine’s entrance and erect additional support infrastructure to give it a modern hospitality centre outlook.

Ministers Mandi Chimene (Manicaland Provincial Affairs), Tshinga Dube (War Veterans) and Abednico Ncube (Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage) — toured the shrine last week and concurred on the need for additional funding to improve the shrine so that it serves as the nerve centre for liberation, cultural and historical heritage of the nation.

Cde Dube said the shrine was in the same league with the National Heroes’ Acre that was erected at independence.

According to the Department of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, which is spearheading the sprucing up of the shrine, the $100 000 will be used to overhaul the main entrance, sink boreholes, construct ablution facilities, accommodation for resident workers, visitors’ shelters and other equipment.

Cde Dube argued that Government should find means to commit at least $1 million to beautify the shrine which has 22 mass graves.

He also said he would personally push for a expeditious Cabinet resolution to that effect.

The exhibition centre is earmarked for unveiling by President Mugabe on November 23, 2016, which coincides with the 39th anniversary of the infamous Chimoio bombing of November 23, 1977.

According to Ms Rumbidzai Bvira, who is the curator for the Chimoio Exhibition Project, the renewal process started in January.

“The conceptualisation started in February, and thereafter we started working on the story, research, and oral interviews,” Ms Bvira said, adding that the process involved the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Department of Museums and National Monuments, Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, among other key stakeholders. The rehabilitation of the shrine also coincided with a landmine and bomb detonation exercise by the Government of Mozambique around the Chimoio Shrine area.

Mr Maximiano A Mucapano, the Chief Do Dosio Administratixo, told The Manica Post that they had retrieved and denoted more than 150 bombs and landmines planted by the Ian Smith regime during the Chimoio bombings.

“We are happy with the work being done here and as a country we will also draw lessons from here.

We are currently removing the landmines and bombs that were used in the attack and we have successfully removed 150 of them,” Mr Mucapano.

The Rhodesia racist regime of Ian Douglas Smith attacked the ZANLA military headquarters in Mozambique at Chimoio in a big airforce operation codenamed ‘Dingo’ in November 1977.

ZANLA Chimoio Camp was a conglomeration of camps situated about 20 kilometres to the north-east of the town of Chimoio, the capital city of the Mozambican Province of Manica.

Cde Norman Bethune, who was the Commander at Chimoio Camp when it was attacked, said there were several sub camps, among them Osibisa, which was mainly a women, Chaminuka, the main ZANLA security camp, Chindunduma, which was for young school children, the Percy Ntini, which was a convalescent centre and a logistics base and the Garage camp where ZANLA’s vehicles were serviced and repaired.

There was also Takawira Base Two camp, about seven kilometres to the North East of the main camp, which was the main military training camp for male cadres in Mozambique.

That camp had previously been located at the main Chimoio Camp as Takawira Base One Camp or Mapinduzi (revolution) before it was moved to its new site. Cde Bethune who is assisting in the reconstruction and rememorisation of the shrine, said the Smith regime used 40 helicopters to carry members of the Rhodesian Light Infantry, to the target, and a further 10 armed helicopters with 20mm cannons which were used in the actual fighting itself, 10 hunter fighter bombers, six vampire fighter bombers, four Canberra bombers, Dakotas and other aircraft.

More than 3 000 ZANLA fighters were killed, while 5 000 wounded. Only two Rhodesian soldiers were killed, while six were wounded.

Cde Bethune said prior to the Chimoio Camp attack, spirit mediums staying at one of the bases at the camp had warned him of the impending massacre.He said this was after some comrades had picked a pangolin which was a very rare animal and presented it to spirit mediums, Sekuru Chipfeni, Chidyamauyu and Chiodzamamera at the Pasichigare Camp.

“We listened.

That is why we surveyed places for people to go and hide the whole day. We knew the Rhodesians would not attack in the evening because they relied on air power and that meant attacking during the day.

It is very easy for people to look back and say this and that, but for us this was real and hapana kwataitiza tichienda,” he said.

Part of the funding should also go towards the reconstruction of the 12-kilometre link dusty road to the shrine that has been badly damaged after years of neglect.A convoy of vehicles for the Zimbabwean delegation that visited the shrine last week struggled to find its way to the shrine.

The road is so badly damaged.

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