NYANGA– Minister of State For Manicaland Province, Monica Mutsvangwa called for the revisiting of the country’s liberation history saying it was soiled with lies and distorted information.
Lovejoy Mutongwiza recently in Nyanga
Speaking during a visit by members of the Zimbabwe Staff College to the site of Rusvingo Battle of 22 July 1978, Mutsvangwa said there is need to revisit the liberation war history and have it taught in schools.
“As a country, we recognize that there might have been an error in decoding our liberation war history. There seems to be a lot of distorted information with regards to our history. It pains me that most children know more about other countries’ history but are not well equipped with what transpired during the war.
“It is also painful to the war veterans that we did not properly acknowledge the important role they played during the war. This is largely due to information was not correctly collected and tabulated. It is our wish that one day, our history will be told as it is, from the early iron age to the Operation Restore Legacy, so that our children can know where we are coming from and going,” said Mutsvangwa.
Members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) who were on a tour of the Rusvingo Battle Site in Nyanga recently (Pic by Lovejoy Mtongwiza)
The Zimbabwean liberation history has been a subject of debate fraught with counter versions especially from those who participated or witnessed the war.
Many liberation struggle leaders, some of whom are late have sought to correct the ‘misconceptions’ through writing biographies and these include, Ndabaningi Sithole, Joshua Nkomo, Morris Nyagumbo and many others.
Meanwhile, Nyanga South legislator, Supa Mandiwanzira said it is also critical to preserve key battle sites so that future generations can be reminded of how the country’s independence came about.
“We have many areas where key battles for the country’s independence were fought. In this instance we have members of the National Museums and Monuments who have come to see how we can preserve the Rusvingo battle area for future generations,” said Mandiwanzira.
