Zim @ 42: Leaving no one behind
THIS year’s Independence Day celebrations are being held today in Bulawayo for the first time since 1980 as part of the government’s drive for devolution and decentralisation. The celebrations will be running under the theme Zim@ 42: Leaving no one and no place behind.
President Emerson Mnangagwa made the announcement about the venue at Zanu PF’s 361st ordinary session of the politburo.
He explained that holding the event in Bulawayo was in line with the Second Republic’s devolution thrust.
“Recently, Cabinet resolved that this year’s 42nd Independence Day celebrations will be held in Bulawayo. This landmark event will be the first to be held outside Harare since independence which is testimony that Zanu PF is walking the talk with regards to devolution and the realisation of development that leaves no one and no place behind”, Mnangagwa said.
Cabinet recently also announced that the Independence Day celebrations and children’s party would be held in Bulawayo.
“Cabinet reports that the 2022 children’s party and the 42nd Anniversary Independence Day celebration will, for the first time in the history of the nation, be held in Bulawayo on April 17 and 18 2022, respectively under the theme Zim@ 42: Leaving no one and no place behind. This is in line with the Second Republic’s drive towards the promotion of national unity, devolution and decentralisation.
Mnangagwa will during the celebrations grace the soccer match between Highlanders and Dynamos football clubs and handover the Independence Day trophy to the winner.
Independence celebrations have traditionally been held at the National Sports Stadium in Harare and Rufaro Stadium before that.
This year’s celebrations will for the first time in the history of Zimbabwe, be held in outside Harare.
Zimbabwe attained its Independence on April 18, 2022, following a protracted war of liberation.
Bulawayo was initially supposed to host the 40th Independence celebrations, but they were
postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first Independence celebrations were held at Rufaro Stadium in Salisbury, the capital as Harare was then called.
Lord Christopher Soames, the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia,
watched as Charles, the Prince of Wales, gave a farewell salute and the Rhodesian Signal Corps played God Save the Queen.
Many foreign dignitaries also attended, including Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India, President Shehu Shagari of Nigeria, President Kenneth
Kaunda of Zambia, President Seretse Khama of Botswana and Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser of Australia, representing the Commonwealth of Nations.
Jamaican Bob Marley sang Zimbabwe, a song he wrote, at the government’s invitation at the concert which followed.