By Patience Rashai

The Government of Zimbabwe in line with Statutory Instrument 50 of 2020 which proposes the renaming of major buildings in the country after national heroes of the second Chimurenga armed struggle has officially renamed the following buildings to honour those who fought the liberation struggle.

New Government Composite Office Building has been renamed Mgandane Dlodlo Building; Immigration Building now Chingaira Makoni Building; Central Registry Building now Muchecheterwa Chiwashira Building; Ambassador House now  Queen Lozikeyi House; Quality International Hotel now Chinengundu Mashayamombe House; Education Services Centre (Mt. Pleasant) now Mtshane Khumalo Complex; Defence House now Hashim Mbita House; Thomlison Depot now Chimoio Camp Depot; Morris Depot now Mkuhusi Camp Depot ; Harare Central Hospital now Sally Mugabe Central Hospital ; CID Headquarters Building now Ethan Dube Building; Harare (Cecil House) now Ruth Chinamano House.

Apart from buildings in the capital city, they have also renamed the following regional offices, Gwanda “Governor Complex” was renamed to Stephen Jege Nkomo Building ; Tsholotsho District Office is now  John Landa Nkomo Building; Kezi District Office now Joana Mafuyana-Nkomo Building ; Lupane Provincial Government Complex  now Welshman Mabhena Building ; Hwange District Office now Thokozile Mathuthu Building ; Chipinge District Complex now William Ndangana Building ; Mutare Provincial Complex now Rekayi Tangwena Building; Mutare Provincial Hospital now  Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital and lastly Marondera Provincial Complex is now Emest Kadungure Building.

Political commentator, Cornwell Muzhunje said this was part of reclaiming our identity and the move was long overdue.

“Reclaiming our identity is never too late, and this is one very good and important move that the Government has undertaken. We can’t continue dishonouring ourselves, (our heroes and heroines) by naming important landmarks and buildings after our former colonisers instead of them, our liberators.”

He also added that names evoked relevance and is the more reason why the former colonisers had also named important cultural sites names such as the Majestic Victoria Falls (after Queen Victoria) or prominent Government schools such as Prince Edward and Queen Elizabeth, an anomaly which should now be rectified.