A former Zipra commander says every ex-combatant who participated in the war of liberation must be declared a war hero to avoid undermining the efforts of genuine fighters and distorting the country’s true history.
Andrew Ndlovu, who served as a regional zone commander in Northern Front Two (NF2) during the liberation war, said what must defer are the medals to be awarded to the ex-combatants.
Ndlovu complained about the politicisation of the National Heroes Acre, with Zanu PF having the sole mandate of determining the status of departed war veterans, undermining the sacrifices of genuine fighters.
“There is a worrying issue happening at Heroes Acres, be it in Matabeleland or Mashonaland, among Zipra and Zanla forces,” Ndlovu said in an interview.
“In my opinion, everyone who joined the liberation struggle to fight for Zimbabwe should be a national hero.
“Perhaps we can only differ in terms of liberation struggle service medals.
“This would make people respect each other.”
He accused some politicians of trimming the biographies of fallen heroes during burials, leaving behind what he described as “non-revolutionary messages” that fail to capture the true history of Zimbabwe.
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“At heroes’ burials in Bulawayo, biographies of comrades are trimmed to zero,” he said.
“As a result, no future generation would understand the true history of Zimbabwe.”
Ndlovu proposed the creation of an independent “heroes committee” composed of both Zipra and Zanla commanders at provincial and national levels, tasked with vetting and approving biographies before they are read at Heroes Acre.
“One thing that creates problems is that some politicians are abusing political power at Heroes Acre,” he said.
“They talk more of Heroes Acre as Zanu PF property than about heroes’ history.
“The same people, during the liberation struggle, were in overseas night clubs, but because of their current status they bulldoze real revolutionary fighters. This must stop before we expose them.”
The former commander criticised what he called “opportunistic politicians” who, in his view, exploit national commemorations for personal gain.
“These people are working for their stomachs and the slogan cars they are given for free,” Ndlovu charged.
“Once the ruling party loses elections, they will jump to the opposition and continue the same campaign strategies for their own benefit.
“Zanu PF should start now to get rid of such leaders to bring unity among Zimbabweans.”
He also questioned why government has automatically declared all brigadier-generals as national heroes regardless of their contribution to the liberation struggle.
“Why not give due respect to sons of peasants who brought down the Viscount, who confronted mercenary leaders, or those who burnt Salisbury?
“Yet today engineers, farmers, and even youths as young as 30 are being honoured as national heroes at our expense.”
Ndlovu stressed that honouring liberation fighters should transcend political party lines, urging unity at commemorations such as Heroes Day, Defence Forces Day, and Independence celebrations.
“We should not be divided along political affiliations when it comes to giving the last respect to our gallant fighters who sacrificed their lives to free Zimbabwe,” he said.
His remarks add to long-running debates over the criteria used to confer national hero status, which critics argue has often been politicised since independence.
