PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has expressed shock and sadness at the death of former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister and son to the late Vice-President Simon Muzenda, Tongai, who passed away in a car accident in Harare on Wednesday night.
He was 57.
Cde Muzenda, who was also former Gutu West legislator, died
on the spot after his vehicle hit an electricity pole in Borrowdale suburb.
At the time of his death, Cde Muzenda was General Manager
of the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe. In a statement last night,
President Mnangagwa described the late Cde Muzenda as a hardworking man who
loved his country.
“I learnt with a deep sense of shock, horror and grief of
the death last night in a car crash of Cde Tongai Muzenda, son of our late
Vice-President, Dr Simon Vengai Muzenda. A promising and trustworthy young
executive, the late Cde Tongai Muzenda had been put in charge of our strategic
arm, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe at which he provided
excellent leadership. Today the MMCZ is all the poorer without him,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said Cde Muzenda acquitted himself
remarkably well in all these roles, thus upholding the family tradition of
enterprise, public-spiritedness and great service to the nation.
“The late served our country in various capacities,
including that of a Deputy Minister of Government under the First Republic, and
as a Member of Parliament for Gutu West Constituency. Before his political
career, soon after his university studies, the late Cde Tongai joined the
corporate world as a young executive.
“He acquitted himself remarkably well in all these roles,
thus upholding the family tradition of enterprise, public-spiritedness and
great service to our nation. In that sense, he was a true chip off the old
block, and we deeply mourn his untimely demise in such violent circumstances,”
he said.
Alongside his peers, President Mnangagwa said the late Cde
Muzenda helped to shape the mining sector in line with the National Development
Strategy 1.
“Alongside his peers the late Cde Muzenda helped to shape
our mining sector, including playing the key role of policy sounding board at a
time when we seek to refashion this sector so it keeps pace with expectations
of our nation, and with emerging global mining trends and standards. He will be
sorely missed by all of us in Government, especially by those operating at the
level of initiating mining policy,” he said.
“On behalf of the party, Zanu-PF, Government, our nation,
my family and on my behalf, I wish to express my deepest, heartfelt condolences
to the Muzenda family, and to the surviving spouse and children on this their
saddest loss.”
“May they find solace in the outstanding service the late
departed rendered to his people and nation during his short lifetime. We shall
always remember his contributions to our nation. May his dear soul rest in
eternal peace,” he said.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Security, Cde Lovemore Matuke, who
worked closely with the Muzenda family in Gutu District, described the death of
Cde Muzenda as a loss to the nation and Gutu in particular.
Cde Matuke worked closely with the Muzenda family as the
late Vice-President Muzenda’s constituency co-ordinator in the 90s.
“I know Tongai from a tender age when I was the
constituency co-ordinator of his father, the late former Vice-President Muzenda
in Gutu North. I worked closely with him to ensure the party won resoundingly
in Gutu when his father was still a Member of Parliament for Gutu North. He was
involved in politics and joined the Zanu-PF youth league in Gweru and was later
transferred to Masvingo province.
“He loved politics and farming during his youthful days,”
he said. Cde Matuke described Tongai as a humble man despite coming from a
prominent family.
“He was a humble man. You could not notice that he was the
son of a Vice-President. Like his father, he was a man of the people who
mingled with everyone despite one’s standing in the community,” said Cde
Matuke.
The Masvingo provincial party leadership has applied for
provincial hero status for Tongai in recognition of his immense contribution to
the party.
Cde Muzenda played a role in the establishment of secondary
and primary schools, clinics and rehabilitation of roads in Gutu. Through his
developmental work ethic, Cde Muzenda established Thornhill Secondary School,
Ndawi Clinic in ward 29, Chavarove Clinic and Dombo Clinic in Ward 1, Gutu
West.
Cde Muzenda leaves behind wife Constance and two children.
Herald
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