People from all walks of life yesterday travelled to Gutu to bid farewell to the late liberation hero Cde Tongai Muzenda, who was buried at Chingito Farm, Tariro Village, near Mpandawana Town.
Cde Muzenda (57), who was the last born to the late Vice
President and national hero Dr Simon Vengesai Muzenda, died on Wednesday last
week in a car crash on his way home in Harare.
President Mnangagwa conferred liberation hero status on Cde
Muzenda in recognition of his outstanding service to the development of post-independent
Zimbabwe, which he served in various capacities.
The late Cde Muzenda was general manager of the Minerals
Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe at the time of his demise. He previously
served as Gutu West Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of Labour, Public
Service and Social Welfare.
The late MMCZ boss was given a perfect send off by people
from all walks of life, including senior Zanu PF and Government officials who
thronged Chingito Farm to pay their last respects.
Among those present at the burial were Zanu PF Politburo
members Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Cde Lovemore Matuke, Cde Sydney Sekeramayi,
Cde Paul Mangwana, Cde Ottilia Maluleke and Cde John Paradza.
Three Cabinet ministers – July Moyo of Local Government and
Public Works, Sekai Nzenza of Industry and Commerce and Winston Chitando of
Mines and Mining Development – were also present.
President Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga
had led the nation in mourning the late Cde Muzenda who they hailed for having
served his motherland with distinction.
Speakers paid tribute to Cde Muzenda for his conspicuous
humility and high work ethic. Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs
and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira thanked President Mnangagwa for honouring the
late Cde Muzenda by according him liberation hero status.
“This is a loss not only for the Muzenda family, but indeed
a loss of all the people in this province,” he said.
Let us gear ourselves to pick up from where he left and
make sure that everything that he wished for his family is indeed achieved and
fulfilled. That is the least we can do for this great man.
“His untimely death has indeed left a huge void difficult
to fill at a time we need gallant machinists to advocate and implement His
Excellency the President’s Vision of making Zimbabwe an upper middle income
economy by 2030.”
The loss of cadres like Cde Muzenda was painful and came at
a time when people like him were at the forefront of building Zimbabwe in the
face of stumbling blocks being thrown in the way by the country’s detractors to
derail its inevitable march towards prosperity.
As a way of honouring gallant sons like the late Cde
Muzenda, Minister Chadzamira urged Zimbabweans to remain united and to never
surrender in the face of hostility from the country’s enemies, saying
programmes like the Transitional Stabilisation Programme enunciated by
Government had set the country on a growth trajectory.
The roll out of landmark projects by President Mnangagwa’s
administration such as the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway upgrading was
testament that Zimbabwe is forging ahead towards prosperity using local
resources and expertise. Minister Chadzamira narrated Cde Muzenda’s history
from the beginning up to his unfortunate demise.
He described him as a personal and professional friend.
Minister Chitando told mourners of how he worked together
with Cde Muzenda in the mining industry for 10 years before they separated.
He said he was saddened by the untimely death of Cde
Muzenda, who was now superintending over the sale, locally and externally, of
the country’s minerals at MMCZ. Cde Muzenda was born on 11 August 1965 and held
an Economics degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
In 2002, he relocated to Gutu where he was a farmer, before
that he had already started actively participating in Zanu PF politics where he
had risen to become the Deputy Chair of the Zanu PF Youth League in Gweru.
He continued his active participation in politics as a Zanu
PF member culminating in his election as MP for Gutu West in the 2013
harmonised elections.
He was also appointed Deputy Minister of Labour and Public
Service after those elections. He was also a business and marketing leader with
experience spanning 30 years in such sectors like mining, agriculture and
public service.
Cde Muzenda is survived by his wife Constance and two
children. Herald
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