THE Zanu PF Politburo yesterday posthumously declared the late Cdes Rabelani Choeni, Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, Elliot Ngwabi, Professor George Kahari and Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki as national heroes.
President Mnangagwa informed the Politburo, during an
extraordinary meeting yesterday, that he had posthumously conferred national
hero status on the five distinguished nationalists.
“The Politburo gave a thumbs up to the decision made by the
President which indeed bestowed befitting respect and honour to the heroes,”
said acting Zanu PF national spokesperson, Dr Mike Bimha.
Cde Choeni was Zanu PF Matabeleland South provincial
chairman and succumbed to Covid-19 related complications on July 16.
He was buried at Malusingani in Beitbridge.
Cde Choeni joined the liberation struggle under Zipra in
1974 when he crossed the border into Zambia through Botswana.
After independence, he served in various political
portfolios, including as Zanu PF chairman for Matabeleland South Province, a
position he held until the time of his death.
Cde Ndlovu, also a freedom fighter and distinguished
journalist, died of a heart ailment aged 87 at the United Bulawayo Hospitals on
July 16 and was buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery.
He was has described as a rare breed of journalists whose
skills were developed and sharpened by the liberation struggle.
Before joining the mainstream media, Cde Ndlovu was the
director of Publicity and Information of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union
(ZAPU) between 1964 and 1978.
He was also the founding editor of a magazine that was
published by the party. In 1972, Cde Ndlovu was sent to the Soviet Union by
ZAPU for military training and participated in the liberation struggle.
After independence, Cde Ndlovu worked for The Chronicle and
The Sunday News before joining Munn Publishing Company where he was the
contributing editor and regional manager responsible for Matabeleland, the
Midlands, Masvingo, Botswana and Zambia.
Cde Ngwabi, who was a veteran nationalist, succumbed to Covid-19
related complications aged 85 on August 14.
He was interred at his home in Esiphezini (Mabindisa
village) in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South province.
President Mnangagwa initially conferred liberation war hero
status on Cde Ngwabi following a request from the Zanu PF leadership in
Matabeleland South province, before the status was upgraded yesterday.
He was among the four heroic freedom fighters who
dramatically escaped from the tightly guarded Grey Street Prison — now Bulawayo
Prison — in 1965.
The late Prof Mpepereki was a renowned academic and
University of Zimbabwe lecturer. He succumbed to Covid-19 on July 10 at
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals at the age of 70.
Prof Mpepereki was also presenter on national broadcaster,
ZTV, where he co-hosted a programme called “Zvavanhu” with other academics
including the late Dr Vimbai Chivaura, Dr Tafataona Mahoso and Prof Claude
Mararike.
He joined the UZ’s Faculty of Agriculture as a staff
development fellow in 1985 and proceeded to complete a Master of Science Degree
majoring in Science and Microbiology at North Carolina State University, the
US, in 1987.
After completing his PhD at the UZ in 1994, he launched the
soya-bean promotion programme in 1996.
Prof Mpepereki was promoted to senior lecturer in 1998,
associate professor in 2000, and full professor in 2002.
Prof Kahari died of Covid-19 complications on July 23,
three days after turning 91.
He was an unwavering nationalist, top academic, diplomat,
educator, arts administrator and writer.
During his career, Prof Kahari served as Zimbabwe’s
Ambassador to Germany, Italy and Czechoslovakia.
He was also one of the founders of the Catholic University
of Zimbabwe, which was founded in 1999, and the first black director at the
National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
Prof Kahari became active in nationalist politics in 1958
when he joined the African National Congress (ANC) before moving to ZAPU, where
he was elected Central Committee member and Deputy Publicity Secretary in 1975.
Prof Kahari was then appointed member of the ZAPU
delegation to the Geneva conference in 1976.
In academic circles, he taught at various schools and
colleges including the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University
of London, as well as the University of Zimbabwe.
He had over 10 publications to his name, among them: The
Odyssey of Shona Narratives, A Standard Dictionary of Shona-English Names, and
The Search for Identity and Ufuru.
Provinces and stakeholders were directed to submit their
recommendations on heroes timeously for appropriate consideration.
The ruling party also announced the suspension of
provincial elections to pave way for preparations for this year’s 19th Annual
People’s Conference .
Yesterday’s extraordinary Politburo session checked on the
state of preparedness for this year’s annual indaba and to receive reports from
the various committees involved in the preparations.
Dr Bimha said the elections would be held at a date to be
announced.
He also announced the co-option of the current national
Youth League executive members into the Central Committee.
Dr Bimha said President Mnangagwa said the extraordinary
Politburo session was necessitated by the urgency of the National Annual
People’s Conference which will be held from the 25-30 October 2021.
National chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri who also
chairs the national committee on the conference preparations, gave a report on
the state of preparedness of the party to host the conference.
The Politburo endorsed the recommendation to reduce the
number of delegates attending both the national conference as well as the
provincial virtual centres.
“It also endorsed the need to follow the Covid-19
regulations and protocols. This implies that all delegates at each provincial
centre must have been vaccinated and tested. They must be able to observe
social distancing,” said Dr Bimha.
“The Politburo following deliberations resolved to suspend
provincial elections until further notice. This was done to allow party
structures to focus on the preparations of the Annual People’s Conference.”
The Politburo also reiterated the position of the party
constitution on the youth league which states 35 years as the limit for league membership.
“It was agreed that this provision must be respected
unconditionally and that the composition of the youth league at any time must
be 35 years and below.
“However, to ensure growth of the national members of the
youth league who are now above 35 years, it was resolved that these members
will be retrained and redeployed as ex-officio members of the Central Committee.”
The district elections will go ahead as planned across the
country’s 10 provinces.
Zanu PF acting Secretary for Youth League Cde Tendai Chirau
commended the party and President Mnangagwa for co-opting the youth league
members into the Central Committee. Herald
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