Freedom fighters urged to document war experiences
FREEDOM fighters and war collaborators should document their liberation war experiences and create a data base of war veterans for the benefit of young and coming generations. The history would also assist the young and coming generations to have an appreciation of how the country achieved its independence and the importance of roles played by war veterans.
Very few important tales of the liberation has been documented which left a huge vacuum to the history of the country liberation struggle.
This was said by Minister of State for Manicaland provincial affairs Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba during a war veterans meeting held in Mutare on Wednesday where freedom fight- ers highlighted a number of issues regarding their welfare.
“I would like to dwell on issues of recording of our history and there is now a gap as comrades are dying every day in unbelievable numbers,” she said.
“As we are dying at such a rate, who will remain to give the history to the young generations on how we fought the war. I am appealing to each one of you to go and write a piece of history of your experiences in war. Note down the struggles and experiences during war and other things you came across during the struggle. This is a very important exercise for the generation to come. Look at the voting patterns by the youths during the just ended elections and see how they voted. It tells a lot as they do not have that history,” she said.
Minister Gwaradzimba also called for the construction of school of ideologies in all the country’s provinces saying it helps cultivate the understanding of how the struggle was won.
She urged the Government and other stakeholders to assist in the provision of resources towards reburial of fallen heroes through the Fallen Heroes Trust of Zimbabwe.
“I would like to talk on the provision of decent health as many comrades have different challenges that stem from the war. Provision of health services takes a long time because everything is centralised in Harare. Our hope is that it will be quickened up through the devolution process which will see everything being done at provincial level or at district level. We are saying everything will be decentralised to speed up the process,” she said.
The minister urged the war veterans to participate in economic activities saying the new dispensation under President Mnangagwa administration is result oriented.
“We all must play a part in the economy as Cde ED is calling for tangible results. We must participate to uplift our welfare and devolution has come at a right time,” she said.