Trabablas Trail enshrinement gathers pace
WORK on the construction of a shrine at Masvingo Railway Station to honour President Mnangagwa for his liberation-war era historic bombing of a Rhodesian locomotive, as part of the activities by the famous “Crocodile Gang” is set to start soon as design work for the monument is now complete.
This comes as Government has released about $500 000 for the enshrinement of four liberation war sites countrywide, including two in Masvingo, as a way of documenting the country’s history and promoting domestic tourism.
President Mnangagwa, together with his colleague in the “Crocodile Gang”, the late Cde Matthew Malowa, blew up the locomotive in 1964 as part of a planned series of subversive activities against the colonial regime that culminated in the beginning of the decisive phase of the Second Chimurenga.
He was subsequently arrested by the colonial regime and sentenced to death in 1965, but his sentence was commuted to 10 years in jail due to his age.
Government and the Zanu-PF Department of Environment Tourism is spearheading building of the monument to be known as the “Trabablas Trail”, which is President’s nom-de-guerre. He was also known as “Trabablas Dzokerai Mabhunu”.
Speaking during a tour to prepare for the start of work on the shrine, National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe director Dr Godfrey Mahachi said work on the Trabablas Trail enshrinement was set to start once designs have been approved.
“We have come up with some designs of the two components that we will work on as part of honouring the President for what he did during the liberation struggle together with his colleague (Cde Malowa),” he said.
“The designs for work on the Trabablas Trail and the monument (at Masvingo Railway Station) are complete and we will soon forward them to the Minister (of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Cde Prisca Mupfumira) and Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister (Senator Josaya Hungwe) so that they are approved in the relevant Government circles before the actual work starts.”
Dr Mahachi, who is also the deputy chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Enshrinement said they were cognisant of the set timelines to complete the enshrinement of Trabablas Trail at Masvingo Railway Station in honour of the President.
“We are planning a two-way approach to this enshrinement programme and we will first put markings on the Trabablas Trail that shows the route used by President Mnangagwa and Cde Malowa on their way from Masvingo Airport to the train station.
“Just in front of the main train station we are planning to build a monumental structure at an open space that is here where we hope to put a Rhodesian-era locomotive to help explain how the train was bombed and also put in place an exhibition inside the monument that tells the whole story about the activities of the Crocodile Gang during the time,” said Dr Mahachi.
Minister Mupfumira, who was also part of the tour, said Government had released funds for the enshrinement of Trabablas Trail and other liberation war shrines namely Kamungoma in Gutu, site of the famous Chinhoi Battle of 1966 in Mashonaland West and another site in Lupane, Matebeleland North.
“We are trying to make these places touristic as part of the enshrinement programme so that our people remember their history while at the same time promoting domestic tourism,” she said.
“So far we have received $500 000 for the enshrinement of four sites including this one (Trabablas Trail) where we are planning to have a monument with a narrative of what actually happened during that time.”
The Cabinet minister said the enshrinement programme was part of an ongoing thrust to restore the legacy of the country’s war of liberation, saying work to honour President Mnangagwa was started in 2015 by the Zanu-PF’s Department of Environment and Tourism to pay homage to him for his role in the liberation of Zimbabwe.
Among those present at the tour was Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Josaya Hungwe and other Government and Zanu-PF officials from the province.