The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa
THE skeletal remains of fallen heroes and heroines that were retrieved from three sites at Muumbe, Nyazvikari and Mjee under Chief Musikavanhu’s area in Chipinge last month were finally buried at Chipinge District Heroes’ Acre on Monday.
Out of the 13 bodies that were exhumed, nine were buried at the district shrine, while four bodies were repatriated to their respective homes in Buhera, Marange, Muumbe and Zvimba for reburial.
The event was graced by Mozambique’s Musirizwi District Administrator Cde Gilberto Kanyenze, who led a 40-Frelimo party delegation.
As per tradition, Chipinge District Administrator Mr Edgars Seenza read the Heroes’ Day speech on behalf of President Mugabe.
During the reburial process, war veterans were joined by their Mozambican counterparts from Frelimo in singing revolutionary songs which reignited the bond that existed during the liberation struggle.
The skeletal remains were in buried in coffins wrapped with the national flag.
Chipinge District war veteran chairperson Cde Rephias Kugoda, who gave a brief background of the Muumbe killings by the Rhodesian Forces said all the fallen heroes were killed at the peak of the liberation struggle and were buried in shallow graves.
Cde Kugoda said infighting between local headmen in Muumbe, which led to the execution of one substantive headman was the main reason which caused many deaths in the area as the spirits of the land had turned their backs on them.
“Today is a celebration day because we are fulfilling what we promised our fallen heroes that we will give them decent burials once we liberated the country. Here we have laid nine heroes and heroines to rest.
“The many deaths experienced in Muumbe are attributed to the works of sell-outs who wanted to intervene in the inheritance of the chieftainship in that area,” he said.
Cde Kugoda dismissed claims that they were exhuming remains of animals. He said the exhumation process being done in Muumbe would bring to an end strange happenings in the area as young children would occasionally be possessed by spirits of the fallen heroes.
“During the exhumation process we identified some of the paraphernalia used during the liberation struggle. These include boots, Chinese tennis, watches and belts and all this clearly shows that we are really exhuming human remains. We are fortunate that some of our members are still remembering some of the shallow graves where some cadres such as Cdes Gunner Sibiya, Cde Knox and Cde Maphepha were buried,” said Cde Kugoda.
Chipinge like any other parts of Manicaland was used as an entry point by freedom fighters to Mozambique.
There are still other areas which still need to be exhumed. These include Mutandahwe, Ngaone, Chibonere Farm and Chipinge Urban Police Camp.
Zimbabwe National Fallen Heroes’ Trust co-ordinator Cde Evelyn Makwambeni called on the nation to support the exhumation process and desist from politicising it.
“It is every one’s responsibility to support events like this. This is not a political thing, but a national programme aimed at giving our fallen heroes decent reburials. We are happy with the support we got from local companies and individuals who are always with us during the time of need,” said Cde Mkwambeni.
Chief exhumer Cde Anyway Chikwanda, echoed the same sentiments and said: “We are happy with the maximum co-operation from local chiefs and individuals in the community because in some areas local leadership see exhuming of remains as a taboo. We have not finished in Chipinge as there are still many places where exhumations have to take place and we will make efforts to finish the whole exercise.”
