PROMINENT businessman Cde Ben Mucheche has been declared a national hero in honour of his contribution to the country before and after independence.
Cde Mucheche succumbed to heart failure at his farm in
Beatrice on June 14 at the age of 96.
The conferment of national hero status was announced last
night by Zanu PF national chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri at the
family home.
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri, who is also Defence and War
Veterans Affairs Minister, said it had not taken long to come up with a
decision to confer national hero status on Cde Mucheche whose contribution to
the struggle was very clear.
“We have been sent by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa,
to convey his deepest condolences to the Mucheche family. He wanted us to tell
you that Cde Mucheche was not only your son but a son of the whole nation who
was hard working, trustworthy and full of love for everyone. After considering
his contribution to the struggle, the President saw it fit to declare him a
National Hero,” she said.
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri chronicled the work done by Cde
Mucheche as he played his part to uplift the lives of black people during the
liberation war and after.
She said Cde Mucheche’s journey was very clear as he worked
with leaders within the then nationalist movement.
“He was eager to make sure that black people’s lives were
made easier during the war and he did this selflessly, regardless of the risk
on his person. He was dedicated to helping the black people gain freedom as
well as financial independence. We worked with him before and after
independence and he would assist with transport and movement of information”.
Cde Mucheche was the founder of the Indigenous Business
Development Centre and owned the now defunct Mucheche Bus Company.
His son, Mr Ben Mucheche Junior, expressed gratitude to the
Government for recognising their father’s hard work and contribution to the
country.
“As a family, we are grateful to Zanu PF and President
Mnangagwa for the honour bestowed on our father. National hero status is the
highest honour which could have been given to him and we are thankful. We
appreciate the work done by our father for his family and his country,” he
said.
Mr Mucheche Jnr described his father as a hardworking man
and one of the finest business people who was always eager to help where he was
needed.
He said Cde Mucheche had remained loyal to his country
after independence until the time of his death.
Mashonaland East Zanu PF provincial chairman Cde Daniel
Garwe said Cde Mucheche had lived a long, full life and deserved to be
celebrated.
“Of course we are pained that we lost someone who was
always there with advice for us but we are celebrating the life that he lived.
He played an important role in the history of our country from the days of the
liberation war. I was one of those mujibhas who worked with him back then. He
would send us clothes for the freedom fighters. Even in business, he taught us
and guided us,” he said.
Cde Garwe said the provincial leadership was happy that Cde
Mucheche had been bestowed the honour befitting such a man.
A teacher by profession, Cde Mucheche was the first person
to establish a taxi rank at Machipisa shopping centre in Highfield, Harare, in
1956.
He worked with veteran nationalists among them former
President Robert Mugabe, James Chikerema, Joshua Nkomo, George Nyandoro, Daniel
Madzimbamuto and Edgar Tekere among others with the task of transporting the
nationalists to meetings in Highfield in the cover of darkness. He also helped
to transport food, clothes and telephones for communication.
In 1963, he gave his vehicle for use by the leadership of
Zapu, which was however, confiscated by the Rhodesian government after the
party was banned and sold at an auction.
He was at one time detained by the police for transporting
recruited cadres to Mozambique but he resisted arrest. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment