via Keep your Heroes Acre – MDC-T tells Mugabe – NewsDay Zimbabwe August 31, 2015 by Obey Manayiti
THE opposition MDC-T has scoffed at Zanu PF government’s monopolisation of the National Heroes Acre, saying its leaders would not lose sleep over Presidents Robert Mugabe’s ranting over the issue.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu told NewsDay yesterday that, contrary to Zanu PF’s presumptions, none among the opposition party’s icons were desperate to be buried at the “partisan Heroes Acre”.
He challenged Mugabe to even relocate the national shrine to his rural home in Zvimba if he so wished.
Gutu was responding to Mugabe’s weekend outbursts where the 91-year-old Zanu PF leaders chided some opposition leaders of being “sell-outs” and unfit to be buried at the national shrine.
Mugabe made the remarks during burial of the late High Court Justice Andrew Mutema at the Heroes Acre on Saturday.
“We feel sorry for Robert Mugabe. We are not angry with him. Actually, we sympathise with him. He needs help. He has too much bottled anger inside his system. That cannot be good for both his mental and emotional health,” Gutu said.
“We are not desperate for any of our members to be buried at the Heroes’ Acre when they pass on. After all, Mugabe has personalised, trashed and trivialised the otherwise very noble idea of having a national heroes’ cemetery.”
Gutu added: “That said we would like to tell Robert Mugabe that he is actually free to transfer the Heroes’ Acre to his home village in Zvimba. We don’t give a damn.”
The ruling party has always been accused of selecting deserving national heroes in a partisan manner, with other deserving national persona denied hero status after being adjudged as “politically incorrect” by the Zanu PF regime.
COMMENTS
Gutu as usual is an empty head that MDC T would rather not have. What happens in his head is difficult to comprehend. How do you dismiss a national symbol of pride and still expect to win votes on to your side! for example my own elder brother died while in zanla camps during the war and I am proud of his contribution. Yes, we can be angry with mugabe, which is perfectly in order but I cannot be angry with Nkomo. I am angry with mnangagwa but certainly proud of Rex – the Billy Goat – Nhongo. In fact some of us are angry with mugabe since the time he plotted to topple Sithole back in 1963-4. mugabe has never been recognised among the heroes of this country because simply he is not one of the heroes. But why then throw the baby together with the bath water like gutu does.
I completely agree – mugabe has so totally personalised heroes acre that it holds only his loyal sycophants and personal friends.
heroes acre has lost all its meaning as a national shrine.
Heroes Acre was constructed by national budget in the early eighties and everyone old enough knows for a fact that even the ZANU PF Head Office the shake shake was also build by compulsory contributions from people with no or little connections to ZANU PF again in the early eighties thus show how MUGABE SEEM to have lost his mind of personalizing property that belongs to every one. The same madness is that which drives him to thing he is the only Zimbabwean that can be president in Zimbabwe, yet constitution recognize any Zimbabwe can be a leader of the country. Thus how far crazy MUGABE and ZANU PF have gone.
Heroes Acre was constructed by national budget in the early eighties and everyone old enough knows for a fact that even the ZANU PF Head Office the shake shake was also build by compulsory contributions from people with no or little connections to ZANU PF again in the early eighties thus show how MUGABE SEEM to have lost his mind of personalizing property that belongs to every one. The same madness is that which drives him to thing he is the only Zimbabwean that can be president in Zimbabwe, yet constitution recognize any Zimbabwe can be a leader of the country. Thus how far crazy MUGABE and ZANU PF have gone. Alah will judge and Mugabe will never
Heroes Acre was constructed by national budget in the early eighties and everyone old enough knows for a fact that even the ZANU PF Head Office the shake shake was also build by compulsory contributions from people with no or little connections to ZANU PF again in the early eighties thus show how MUGABE SEEM to have lost his mind of personalizing property that belongs to every one. The same madness is that which drives him to thing he is the only Zimbabwean that can be president in Zimbabwe, yet constitution recognize any Zimbabwe can be a leader of the country. Thus how far crazy MUGABE and ZANU PF have gone. Alah will judge and Mugabe will never see his face.