Career diplomat Cde John Chimbandi, who died last Saturday
in Harare, has been declared a national hero and will be buried at the National
Heroes Acre tomorrow.
He was 67. Zanu-pf
secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu confirmed the development last
night.
“He has been conferred national hero status. He will be
buried on Sunday at the National Heroes Acre.
“Politburo was unanimous in according him the national hero
status. We acceded to a request by Mashonaland East Province that he be
declared a national hero.
“He had a long history in the liberation struggle and
worked consistently after independence,” said Dr Mpofu.
Government on Monday
described the late national hero as a hardworking diplomat who represented
Zimbabwe well wherever he was posted.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade said Cde Chimbandi was the ministry’s institutional liberation expert.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade,
Honourable Lieutenant-General (Retired) Dr S. B. Moyo, the Permanent Secretary
Ambassador J. M Bimha and the entire staff in the ministry learnt with profound
grief and sadness, the sudden passing on of Cde John Chimbandi, on the 2nd of
June, 2018 at Arundel Hospital, in Harare,” said the ministry.
“The ministry expresses deep and heartfelt condolences to Mrs
Chimbandi, the children and the entire family at this very sad and untimely
loss.”
Cde Chimbandi was born on October 1, 1951 in Zviyambe,
Wedza.
He attended St
Anne’s Mission Goto, Wedza and Ranche House College in Harare for his secondary
education from 1964 to 1969.
Cde Chimbandi proceeded to Botswana where he acquired a
Bachelor of Political Science degree at the then University of Botswana, Lesotho
and Swaziland between 1969 and 1971.
He started his career as a school teacher in 1971 at
Muchudi Secondary School in Botswana, and in 1972, as the war intensified back
home, he traded the comfort of urban professional life for the liberation struggle.
Cde Chimbandi received his military training in Tanzania
and was deployed to the war front in 1973. He rose through the ranks to the
position of Field Operations and Camps Political Commissar in Mozambique in
1974, a position he held until 1976.
From 1977 to 1980, Cde Chimbandi was the Chief
Representative of Zanu-PF for East Africa in the then Organisation of African
Unity (OAU) Liberation Committee in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania.
He joined the then Ministry of Foreign Affairs at
Independence in 1980, as an Assistant Secretary.
Cde Chimbandi was
the ministry’s institutional liberation expert as he coordinated Zimbabwe’s
policy on all liberation movements in Southern Africa, including the African
National Congress (ANC), the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO),
and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) in the 1980s.
In spite of a health setback that semi-paralysed the left
side of his body, Cde Chimbandi had an illustrious career in the ministry that
saw him serving as Deputy Director at Head Office and Minister Counsellor in
West Germany (1990-1996), China (1998-2002) and Iran (2004-2011).
In March 2015, Cde Chimbandi was appointed Zimbabwe’s
Consul-General to Mozambique, based in Beira. He served in that
position until his time of retirement at the end of September 2017. Cde Chimbandi was
instrumental in the building of Zimbabwe’s Foreign Service.
“His revolutionary background was evident in the way he
promoted and protected Zimbabwe’s national interest at home and abroad,” said
the ministry.
“In Cde Chimbandi, the country had a dedicated and astute
diplomat who contributed immensely to the strengthening of relations between
Zimbabwe and the countries he served in.
“In spite of these accomplishments, Cde Chimbandi was
humble and modest, tenets that endeared him to fellow workmates and
acquaintances. He will be sorely missed by all those touched by his illustrious
life.
“During this very sad period of their lives, may Cde
Chimbandi’s family find solace in the knowledge that their loss is shared by
the entire nation.”
Cde Chimbandi is survived by his wife and three children.
Herald
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