Who is a hero? Rather, what is a hero? In Zimbabwe, we always have a debate about who should grant and be granted national hero status. I think we tend to waste time debating a nonsensical issue. The definition of a hero in Zimbabwe is the sole preserve of Zanu-PF and you have to be in good books with Zanu-PF in order to be buried at the National Heroes Acre. I have heard people advocate that Jairos Jiri or Ndabaningi Sithole should have been buried at the National Heroes Acre. Those people are missing the point. The national heroes acre is neither heroic nor national.
I agree there are distinguished persons of heroic stature buried there e.g. Herbert Chitepo but we also have people of dubious status equally buried there. For example, while Cain Nkala may have fought for Zimbabwe's liberation, he played a part in the disappearance of Patrick Nabanyama then his own revolution 'ate' him. I do not know why Zanu-PF accorded him national hero status - except that it was politically convenient at the time since the MDC was accused of killing him. They just could not miss such a propaganda opportunity. Then, there are people who did not fight during the war, nor did they contribute anything of value to the nation except showing undying loyalty to Zanu-PF, rather, to Robert Mugabe e.g. Elliot Manyika. Calling that cemetery national is a misnomer. It does not reflect the nation it purports to represent. A partisan body decides which members of itself should be buried there. Advocating that Jairos Jiri be buried there is akin to insisting that a Pope be buried at Westminister Abbey. The national heroes acre is a Zanu-PF cemetery, so why would you want to be buried there if you are not Zanu-PF or better still, why should Zanu-PF bother to bury you there?
