The now deceased Fanson Siziba (82) who had been reported
missing on 1 June is alleged to have been suffering from dementia.
He was buried on 29 June at his rural home in Marirazhombe
Village under Chief Chizungu in Mberengwa and he was accorded liberation war
hero status.
In an interview, family spokesperson, Sikhumbuzo Siziba who
confirmed the death of Siziba said a young girl who had gone to fetch firewood
in the bush stumbled on his lifeless dead body which was already in a state of
decomposition and notified the police.
Sikhumbuzo said the family was still grief-stricken following
the ‘untimely’ death of their loved one.
“Circumstances are that on 23 June a young girl who had
gone to fetch firewood in the bush saw a dead body that resembled that of his (Siziba) and reported the matter to the
nearest police.
“We received a call from the police to come and identify
the body and indeed it was our father. His body was already in an advanced
state of decomposition.’’
“According to the position that he was found in, the police
confirmed that there were no signs of attacks found on him. They suspected that
he was severely affected by extreme weather conditions and hunger.
“He has been suffering from dementia and we suspect that
might have made him forget directions back home,” said Sikhumbuzo.
Sikhumbuzo said following consultations with different
organisations that he worked with including the transport sector and war
veterans associations Siziba was accorded liberation war hero status.
“We notified different organisations that he worked with
and these included the transport industry and the war veterans associations and
when they looked at the work that he did to help the community and the country
at large to gain independence they saw it fit to accord him liberation war hero
status,” said Sikhumbuzo.
Siziba is survived by wife Chipo, 10 children,
grandchildren and some great grandchildren.
Siziba was born on 2 May 1942 and left his job as a driver
in 1978 to join the liberation struggle.
He then went to Zambia and stayed at a refugee camp which
was under ZAPU.
Siziba was then sent to Romania in Bucharest where he was
trained to be a qualified driver and he received other training that was
in-line with the liberation struggle.
He then came back equipped and stronger than before working
with ZIPRA commanders as a driver.
At independence he however, didn’t join the Zimbabwe National
Army and this made him find a job elsewhere.
Siziba got a job at Monarch where he worked as a truck
driver moving from one country to another.
While he was there that was when he thought of venturing
into the transport industry leading to the formation of Insimbaluthi
Partnership which was an affiliate of Tshova Mubaiwa.
Tshova Mubaiwa was established in 1983 in Bulawayo. The
co-operative was established against the backdrop of the poverty alleviation
programme, a Government initiative that sought to alleviate poverty through
self-empowerment of Zimbabwean citizens. B Metro
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