Veteran nationalist Cde Misheck Velaphi Ncube, who died on
Tuesday has been declared a national hero.
Cde Ncube, who was a Zanu-PF National Consultative member,
died in Bulawayo after a long illness.
He was 82. In a telephone interview last night, Zanu-PF
secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu confirmed Cde Velaphi’s national
hero status.
“I am just coming from announcing the declaration at the
funeral vigil,” said Dr Mpofu. “The party recognises those who sacrifice their
lives towards liberating the country and he was one of those people.
“He was involved in the liberation struggle and was incarcerated
with the current President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) at Khami (Prison).
“After Independence, he served in the National Consultative
Assembly and the Central Committee and has always been with the party.
“The President sent me to go and announce the declaration
and that is where I am coming from,” he said.
Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Cde
Judith Ncube thanked President Mnangagwa for according Cde Ncube the revered
status.
“We are so thankful that he was declared a national hero.
Indeed he was one of the pioneers of the liberation struggle. He fought among
the first group of cadres who launched the struggle on the Zipra side.
“I am struggling to think of words to describe him. He was
one of the cadres who fought the famous Hwange Battle in the 1960s.”
Minister Ncube said at the time of his death, Cde Ncube had
started documenting his history with the help of renowned historian Cde Pathisa
Nyathi.
“He had been meeting with Cde Nyathi to document his
history together with other cadres who include Cde John Maluzu, Cde Nzimela and
Cde Clark Mpofu. These veterans had been meeting at Cde Ncube’s house so that
they would capture some of those striking features of the liberation struggle
that have not been widely documented,” said Minister Ncube.
Funeral arrangements for the national hero would be
announced tomorrow.
The late national hero was one of the pioneer guerrillas
under Zipra, serving in several positions both in the military wing during the
war of liberation and in politics.
He is among the first ‘Group of 12’ to undertake military
training in Egypt in 1962.
In 1966, he and his colleagues took advantage of the
political instability in the Congo where they raided the Congolese rebels,
poisoned them before looting their weapons.
His mission led to the first smuggling of weapons into
Southern Rhodesia.
Soon after his death, Zanu-PF Bulawayo province had applied
for a national hero status for the late cadre.
Addressing mourners last week, Politburo member Cde Absolom
Sikhosana said if cadres like Cde Ncube are not declared national heroes, then
no-one deserves that honour.
“If he is not declared a national hero, then we would be
making a mockery of that status. A real mockery of that status because the man
is more than deserving, he is more than qualified.
“He was involved at all levels of the liberation struggle.
He was involved at all levels of the political leadership. There is no reason
whatsoever for denying him that right. That is the appropriate consideration
befitting a man of his calibre,” said Cde Sikhosana. Sunday Mail
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