: Zimbabwe Rekindles Its Liberation Spirit at Historic Mutapa Hall
…Vice President Chiwenga Lights Independence Flame, Honors Legacy of Liberation
By Delicious Mathuthu
Gweru, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Hon. Gen. (Rtd) Dr. Constantino Chiwenga, today presided over a symbolic ceremony at Mutapa Hall in Gweru to mark the official lighting of the 45th Independence Flame, a key event in the lead-up to the nation’s Independence Day commemorations in Gokwe.
Delivering his address before senior government officials, war veterans, traditional leaders, and citizens, Vice President Chiwenga paid tribute to the men and women who laid the foundations for Zimbabwe’s freedom, highlighting the significance of the 1964 Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) Congress held at the same venue.
“It is with great honor and profound joy that I stand before you during this historic occasion to light the 45th Independence Flame.
“The Independence Flame serves as our eternal symbol of the struggle, sacrifice, triumph, and spirit of our beloved nation, Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mutapa Hall was chosen as the location for this year’s flame lighting due to its historical importance.
It was here, Vice President Chiwenga recalled, that the inaugural ZANU Congress convened from May 21 to 23, 1964, a defining moment in Zimbabwe’s liberation movement.
He reminded the nation that the ZANU Party had originally been formed on 8 August 1963 in Highfields following a split from the Joshua Nkomo led Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).
The Vice President recounted how, during that 1964 Congress, a critical decision was made to engage in armed resistance against colonial rule.
He said the motto after the Congress was that “We are our own Liberators through the barrel of the gun.”
The Congress elected key liberation figures, including the late Ndabaningi Sithole, Leopold Takawira, Robert Mugabe, Herbert Chitepo, and Enos Nkala.
“This Congress solidified a collective vision and rekindled the zeal for independence and self-determination through supreme sacrifice by the Zimbabwean people,” said Vice President Dr. Chiwenga.
He emphasized the enduring relevance of the Congress, which not only defined ZANU’s ideological direction but also initiated grassroots mobilization and established key international alliances.
He also noted the attendance of now-President Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa at the 1964 Congress as part of a group trained in China, stressing the President’s long-standing contribution to the liberation struggle.
An exhibition installed at Mutapa Hall for the occasion was praised by the Vice President as a fitting tribute to the Congress participants and other unsung heroes of the liberation war.
“Let no one ever attempt to vulgarize or rewrite that history,” he warned, adding that “Only ZANU PF liberated Zimbabwe.”
As the country prepares to celebrate 45 years of independence, Dr. Chiwenga called on citizens to honor the bravery and unity that characterized the liberation movement.
“Let us recommit ourselves to the values and principles that guided our liberation struggle.
“Together, let us honor our past, celebrate our present, and forge a future filled with promise and prosperity,” he said.
The Independence Flame, he said, symbolizes the resilience of Zimbabwe’s people and their enduring commitment to sovereignty, freedom, and unity.
Its lighting each year serves not only as a reminder of past sacrifices but also as a call to uphold the ideals for which many gave their lives, he said.
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