MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa has challenged Zanu PF’s power to unilaterally declare national heroes and promised to make changes after triumphing in the 2023 elections.
In a statement commemorating this year’s Heroes Day, Chamisa said Zanu PF’s monopoly on conferring national heroes would be replaced by an independent body.
“We will transform the process of declaring and conferring hero status in the country. No party is equal to or bigger than Zimbabwe,” the opposition leader said.
“The heroes of Zimbabwe shall be determined by and through stakeholders, an independent body that confers hero status. We will have a template to determine hero status with input from citizens in its design.”
At present Zanu PF’s Politburo sits and determines conferment of national hero status, a decision that has received attacks from many quarters.
Chamisa’s grand national heroes reforms also include designating August the “Heroes Month” with multiple festivities, memorial lectures, and activities lined up.
He also promised to honour current human rights activists, constructing a liberation museum and making struggle movies while strengthening education on history, heritage, national pride, and patriotism.
Zimbabwe is set to hold its national elections in 2023 pitting for the second time arch-rivals Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zanu PF and Chamisa.
Mnangagwa narrowly beat Chamisa in the 2018 elections and the opposition leader has rejected the outcome of the poll results accusing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of rigging.
