Wednesday, 13 March 2024

CHEMIST SIZIBA DECLARED LIBERATION WAR HERO

President Mnangagwa has conferred Liberation War hero status on Cde Chemist David Siziba who died on Saturday last week and will be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery in Goromonzi.

Cde Siziba died at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare aged 76.

He was a Harare-based businessman and was one of the pioneers of the establishment of cellular phone services in Zimbabwe.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, Zanu PF Secretary-General Dr Obert Mpofu yesterday confirmed President Mnangagwa’s conferment of the status on Cde Siziba.

“His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of ZANU PF, Cde ED Mnangagwa has conferred Liberation War Hero status to the late Cde Chemist David Siziba who died on 09 March 2024 and will be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery, Goromonzi.

“His family can be contacted through our Matabeleland South Provincial office. I shall be most grateful if you would make the usual payment of benefits to his family. He is from Matabeleland South Province.”

Born on June 30, 1947 in the Insiza, Filabusi, Matabeleland South, Siziba did his primary and secondary schooling at the Brethren-in-Christ Church School after which he went to Fletcher High School in Gweru for his  Advanced Level studies.

In 1971, while studying for an agricultural degree at the University of Rhodesia, he became a student activist which made him unable to complete his degree programme.

He secured a Commonwealth scholarship to go to the University of Bombay and obtained a BSc degree in Electronics Engineering.

During his time in India, his political resolve and activism grew. Cde Siziba proceeded to the United Kingdom where he joined the staff of the ZAPU office.

He worked as a deputy engineer for the BBC in 1977 and several other London establishments.

In 1978, Cde Siziba left the UK for Zambia to join the liberation struggle and was part of a 25-member team sent for training as an intelligence expert in Russia alongside Cdes Bernard Ncube, Ivathi Ndlovu, Patrick Mlilo, Martin Jabulani Shatin, Mxolisi Ncube, Obert Ndlovu, S Ndlovu, and Mandlenkosi Ncube.

He was then posted to Lusaka at the ZAPU headquarters where he served with Cdes Jeremy Brickhill, (Advocate) Nkiwane, Frazer Nyathi, Sam Madondo, Victor Mlambo, King Nebart Madida, Swazini Ndlovu and TG Sibindi.

Cde Siziba was then posted to the National Security Organisation (NSO) wing of ZAPU, responsible for external intelligence operations, where he worked closely with the late Russian-trained intelligence supremo and national hero, Cde Dumiso Dabengwa, under Father Zimbabwe the late Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.

After the historic Lancaster House ceasefire and transitional talks in London at the end of the liberation war, Cde Siziba returned home with the ZAPU delegation.

He then joined Government in 1980 working under the late national hero George Silundika who was then Minister of Roads, Post and Telecommunications as an assistant secretary

Thereafter, he worked in the Ministry of Industry and Technology, having risen through the ranks to become under-secretary, then Deputy Permanent Secretary, the rank at which he left Government after eight years.

After leaving Government service, Siziba became an industrialist and established his own bicycle manufacturing company, Norton Cycles. He also ventured into the food sector being one of the first corn flakes manufacturers.

Cde Siziba is celebrated as one of the pioneers of black empowerment and entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe.

He became an active driver of black empowerment, becoming leader of the Indigenous Business Development Centre (IBDC) which he co-founded in 1991 with Ben Mucheche, Leo Mugabe and Strive Masiyiwa.

In 1996, Siziba founded Cosmos Cellular as one of three companies that were service providers to the newly established NetOne, a state owned national mobile telecommunications company. Chronicle

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