Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa addresses the commemoration of the Heroes' Day at the Heroes Acre in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 9, 2021. Amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe on Monday marked the 41st Heroes' Day with limited public gatherings as President Emmerson Mnangagwa rallied the nation to fight against corruption, hunger and poverty. (Photo by Shaun Jusa/Xinhua)
HARARE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe on Monday marked the 41st Heroes' Day with limited public gatherings as President Emmerson Mnangagwa rallied the nation to fight against corruption, hunger and poverty.
Addressing a small gathering of about 200 fully vaccinated people at the Heroes Acre in the capital Harare, Mnangagwa said a befitting honor to the daughters and sons of the nation who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the country is to build a modern and prosperous Zimbabwe.
"The best way to show our appreciation for the supreme sacrifice paid by our heroes and heroines is to build the modern, industrialized, developed and prosperous society envisaged in the country's Vision 2030," Mnangagwa said in a speech that was also broadcast live on state television and radio.
He challenged Zimbabweans to work hard and develop the nation, noting that only Zimbabweans, and not foreigners, will build Zimbabwe into a great nation.
"As the emerging heroes of today, our enemy is poverty, hunger, disease, corruption as well as retarded and delayed development. As we honor yesteryear heroes, let us march forward together in peace, unity, love and singleness of purpose to build a more prosperous Zimbabwe," Mnangagwa said.
He urged Zimbabweans to remain vigilant amid the COVID-19 pandemic and indicated that his government will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccine doses for free until the nation attains herd immunity of 10 million of its approximately 14 million people. Enditem