By Talent Gondo| As the country tomorrow celebrates 38 years of Independence, the Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Minister, Miriam Chikukwa has extended an invitation to all Zimbabweans including opposition political party leaders and their supporters to attend this year’s Independence celebrations slated for the giant National Sports Stadium in Harare.

In an interview with the national broadcaster, ZBC, Chikukwa said citizens should attend independence commemorations since the day was special for every citizen.

“As your host, I am inviting everyone regardless of your political affiliation to come,” she said.

“ Independence is for us all and I am appealing to everyone to come for these celebrations because we are all Zimbabweans and this is our day,” she said.

Opposition political parties have in the past snubbed attending Independence commemorations citing “personalisation” of national events by President Robert Mugabe and Zanu Pf.

In his independence message posted on his Facebook page, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said this year’ s commemorations come in a new era where there is more freedom, openness and opportunity.

“In this new era, we must be liberated not only from outside but from within, from hate, prejudice and discord. This year’s celebrations carry even greater reasonable, as we have entered a new period in our history, a period of freedom, openness and opportunity,” he said.

MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa also issued his Independence message revealing that the Alliance leadership will tomorrow join the rest of the nation in commemorating independence day.

“Our only wish is to complete the outstanding business of our independence so that political independence would truly mean the advent of freedoms and the proper respect for the right to vote which was at the core of our protracted national struggle,” said Chamisa.

“In many ways, the sanctity of our struggle has been undermined if not hijacked by a selected few who have betrayed the noble aspirations of Zimbabweans when they waged that brutal struggle.”