Zimbabwe Marks 43rd National Heroes Day to Mourn 'Gallant Sons'

Zimbabwe is celebrating its 43rd National Heroes Day on Monday, August 14, 2023 under the theme "Remembering Our Heroes – Nyika Inovakwa Nevene vayo/Ilizwe Lakhiwa Ngabanikazi Balo" which means "a nation is built by its people" in the two main local languages, Shona and Ndebele.
National Heroes Day dates back to the early 1980s after Zimbabwe ended white minority rule on April 18, 1980. The holiday was established to honor the brave men and women who fought for Zimbabwe's freedom and sovereignty.
The first National Heroes Day was celebrated in 1981, one year after the people of Zimbabwe achieved universal suffrage following the Zimbabwean War of Independence, also known as the Second Chimurenga or Rhodesian Bush War.
The conflict pitted three forces against each other: the white minority Rhodesian government of Ian Smith (later the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian government of Bishop Abel Muzorewa); the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), the military wing of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU); and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) of Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).
The war ended with a compromise reached at the Lancaster House Agreement in London in December 1979, which led to free elections in which ZANU and ZAPU participated and the formation of the Republic of Zimbabwe (https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230724/zimbabwes-second-republic-on-track-to-achieve-vision-2030-mnangagwa-says-ahead-of-election-1060729624.html) under a black-majority government. The UK, which had never recognized Rhodesian independence, briefly imposed direct rule to grant independence as the new country of Zimbabwe on April 18, 1980.
Zimbabwe Defense Forces Day
The National Heroes Day will be followed by the Zimbabwe Defense Forces Day on Tuesday, August 15, which will celebrate the country's armed forces. The event will be held at the National Sports Stadium in Harare under the theme "Brick by Brick, Stone Upon Stone – Zimbabwe Defence Forces: Creating a Conducive Environment for the Attainment of Vision 2030".
Defense Forces Day will showcase the achievements and capabilities (https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230813/zimbabwes-reserve-bank-stocks-300000-carats-of-diamonds-thanks-to-royalties-governor-says-1061300782.html) of the armed forces and their role in maintaining peace and stability in Zimbabwe and beyond.