Heroes Day

The second Monday of August is marked as the day to celebrate Heroes Day in Zimbabwe. Those who fought and died during the struggle for Independence are commemorated on this day

10 Zimbabwean and 7 North Korean professionals were recruited to map the site. The black granite was sourced from Mutoko. One of the main attractions linked to Heroes Day is Heroes Acre in Harare, Zimbabwe. The shrine is a 23 hectare monument which resembles two AK-47 Rifles. The graves symbolizes the magazine of bullets  

Photo by Jan Blinka

Key attractions at Heroes Acre include the statue of the 3 soldiers, the tomb of the unknown soldier, the eternal flame, the museum and the murals depicting stages of the liberation struggle from pre-colonial to the Chimurenga, the Rhodesian Bush War and finally the Independence Struggle  

The Freedom Tower is a key feature which can be viewed from a distance away from the National Heroes Acre. This tower houses the eternal flame which symbolises the spirit of all those who died in the liberation struggle and the aspirations for Zimbabweans to be free and independent 

Today Heroes Acre enjoys a variety of local and international visitors. The natural vegetation on the short drive up from the main entrance to the monument has been said to mimick the environment in which liberation soldiers trained, hid and tough

Defence Forces Day

The holiday is celebrated every August after Heroes Day. The Holiday is also known as “Armed Forces Day”. The Day honours the defence bodies of Zimbabwe from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA)  to the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

The flag for the defence forces includes the primary colours on the individual flags for ZNA (red) and AFZ (blue). An image of a sitting or soaring eagles is included on all 3 flags. 

The motto for the ZNA is “Our swords are the shield of the nation”. An exhibition of Military equipment and history is available at the Military Museum in Gweru. The museum included aero engines, uniforms and armoured vehicles.  

The Latin motto for the AFZ is Alae Praesidio Patriae which in English translates to Our wings are the fortress of the nation. The aircrafts for AFZ are marked with the roundel whose colours represent those on Zimbabwe’s national flag.

The ZRP has a division which provides musical services to the state and general public to promote good relations between the police and the public through the Police Band. The band has 8 musical groups including brass band, choral group and a marimba band. Celebrations on Defence Forces Day have included a parade, a show by a popular artist and an Air Force demonstration.