Ambassador Manyika buried

Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
THE first Zimbabwean Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Kennedy Grant Dick Chivanda Manyika, who passed on recently has been described as an illustrious son of the soil whose sense of duty and patriotism should be emulated.

He was buried yesterday at Mtapa Cemetery in Gweru. In a speech read on his behalf by his Permanent Secretary, Ambassador James Manzou, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Frederick Shava, said the country has lost one of its hardworking diplomats.

“I wish to join the entire Manyika family as we all mourn our departed friend and colleague, Ambassador Kennedy Grant Chivanda Manyika. May we all take solace in knowing that Ambassador Nyika will be greatly missed by his colleagues in the Ministry and all those that he interacted with in his day-to-day duties.

“He was a hard-working diplomat, known for his sense of duty, diligence and unfaltering loyalty to the Government and people of Zimbabwe,” said Ambassador Shava.

He said Ambassador Manyika was one of Zimbabwe’s first diplomats and was called from an illustrious teaching career in which he had scaled dizzy heights to undergo training as a diplomat.

Ambassador Shava said during his days as a teacher, Ambassador Manyika was continuously stalked by Rhodesian security forces for his political activism which forced him to join politics.

“He was one of the founders of ZANU in 1963. He was tasked with canvassing support in Gweru East. He established over 30 branches in Gweru, Shurugwi and surrounding rural areas convincing some chiefs to join the party during the early years.

“He was also heavily involved in missionary work. As a vice-president of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, he played a major role in indigenisation of the church into the Methodist Church of Zimbabwe.”

He added: “After independence, the illustrious son of the soil joined the world of diplomacy. Ambassador Manyika completed diplomatic training in 1981 and was posted to Yugoslavia as Zimbabwe’s first Ambassador.

“His tenure as Ambassador brought a number of major Yugoslav construction projects into the country, which included the Sheraton Hotel now known as Rainbow Towers among others.

“After his stint in Yugoslavia, his next diplomatic role was that of Principal Observer of the Implementation of UN Resolution 435 which led to the independence of Namibia. In 1994, he was appointed as part of the UN election observer Mission in South Africa’s first democratic elections.”

Ambassador Manyika’s final diplomatic role was that of Special Envoy of the Allied Forces during the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict.

“In all these national, regional and international roles, he served with utmost distinction.

“We have fond memories of him when he briefly headed the Training Department, where he mentored many of the Ambassadors and officers who are currently serving the Ministry both at Head Office and diplomatic missions. The gap he has left will indeed be very difficult to fill.”