Heroes Acre not for sell-outs: Mugabe

By Mugove Tafirenyika

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe yesterday reignited the debate on who should be declared a national hero by declaring that sell-outs would not be buried at the national shrine.

Addressing a handful of mourners during the burial Justice Andrew Mutema at the National Heroes Acre, Mugabe described the late national hero as a revolutionary giant who sacrificed his life for the country.

“History also records of the many of weak hearts and fragile minds who ran away during that outward journey to Mozambique and Zambia or deserted when the going got tough on the war front or equally worse, sold out to the enemy and Tsvangirai is one of them, he ran away,” Mugabe said.

Mugabe said the liberation struggle was not a walk in the park “and neither was it an adventurous escapade”.

Zanu PF and liberation war stalwarts who fell out of favour with Mugabe would not be buried at the Heroes Acre, the nonagenarian leader vowed.

“History records that many a young man and woman who joined the struggle, seeking adventure, found the going too tough and fell by the way side.

“In this bracket are also those who are making vain attempts to be pseudo democratic leaders and liberators of this country! Shame on them. Before they do what the likes of Mutema did, they can forget it, they can never be heroes of this country,” Mugabe declared without naming them.

Several former Zanu PF stalwarts and liberation war heroes including former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo — one of the members of the Dare Rechimurenga (War Council) were axed from the party ahead of the ruling party’s damp squib elective congress late last year.

Gumbo together with former Zanu PF secretary for administration — Didymus Mutasa — and a host of prominent officials were booted out of Zanu PF for supporting former Vice President Joice Mujuru, who also was fired, for plotting to assassinate the veteran leader.

“They are saying we also want to be buried there but we are saying to them we have many hills in the country, you can build your own but here no. We said it does not happen and it will not happen even when we are dead.”

Relying on testimonies from Mutema’s close friends and relatives, Mugabe described him as a “revolutionary giant”.

“There are those that may ask who Andrew Mutema was, to deserve being recognised as a national hero,” Mugabe said.

Mugabe said only a few people “drawn from among his family members, relatives, friends, his former colleagues in the judiciary, are the people who could narrate the numerous achievements and anecdotes in the story of his life.

“We are not happy that he died at a very young age. Some of you might not understand me when I say so but I know what I am talking about. As I speak to you I am 91 and will soon be turning 92 but could not achieve all I wanted during that long life. There are a lot of things we set ourselves to achieve so we strive to live longer,” said Mugabe.

Source: Daily News