National Heroes Acre or simply Heroes Acre is a burial ground and national monument in

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. The site is situated on a ridge seven kilometres from

, towards Norton. Its stated purpose is to commemorate Patriotic Front guerrillas killed during the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rh ...

, and contemporary Zimbabweans whose dedication or commitment to their country justify their interment at the shrine. Persons buried here are considered heroes by the incumbent

Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

regime, which has administered the country since independence at 1980. Indeed, most of the recipients of the 'hero status' were known to be Zanu-PF sympathisers. The actual monument itself is modeled after two

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

s lying back-to-back; the graves are meant to resemble their magazines. The monument is an early example of work of the North Korean firm

Mansudae Overseas Projects Mansudae Overseas Projects is a construction company based in Jongphyong-dong, Phyongchon District, Pyongyang, North Korea. It is the international commercial division of the Mansudae Art Studio. As of August 2011, it had earned an estimated U ...

. It closely mirrors the design of the

Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery Taesongsan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery () is a cemetery and memorial to the North Korean soldiers fighting for freedom and independence against Japanese rule. It is located near the top of Mount Taesong (Taesongsan) in the Taesong-guyŏk ...

in Taesong-guyŏk, just outside

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

, North Korea.

Construction

Work was initiated on the National Heroes' Acre in September 1981, a year after Zimbabwean independence. Ten Zimbabwean and seven

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

n architects and artists were recruited to map the site's layout. 250 local workers were involved in the project at the height of its construction. Black granite used for the main structures was quarried from Mutoko, about 140 kilometres northeast of the capital, then known as Salisbury.

National Heroes

National Hero Status is the highest honour that can be conferred to an individual by Zimbabwe and the recipient is entitled to be buried at the National Heroes' Acre. As of 7 August 2001, 47 persons had been interred on site, rising to 161 by November 2022.

Features

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier recognises unidentified insurgents who lost their lives during the liberation war. Included is a bronze statue of three guerrillas – one female, two male – a flagpole, and an ornate artifice.

The Eternal Flame

The Eternal Flame rests atop a tower measuring some fourty metres. It was lit at independence celebrations in 1982 and embodies the spirit of Zimbabwean independence. The tower is the highest point at Heroes' Acre; it can readily be viewed from Harare.

Wall murals

Two walls on either side of the monument carry murals depicting the history of Zimbabwe, from pre-colonial times through the

Chimurenga ''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical terms ...

, the

, and independence under national hero

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...

Museum

Near the entrance of Heroes' Acre is a museum dedicated to the rise of African nationalism in Zimbabwe and the anti-colonial struggle, showcasing artifacts, photographs, documents and other paraphernalia from the war and the period shortly after independence Zimbabwe National heroes buried at the shrine.

Burials

# Cephas Cele #

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References

{{coord, 17, 50, 04, S, 30, 59, 14, E, region:ZW_source:kolossus-eswiki, display=title Buildings and structures in Harare Cemeteries in Zimbabwe Tourist attractions in Harare Mansudae Overseas Projects *