Online Reporter
Joseph Madzimure
Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZANU PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, has paid an emotional tribute to his comrade-in-arms, Ambassador Dr Victor Matemadanda, crediting him with saving his life during the darkest days of the liberation struggle.
Ambassador Matemadanda, who was the country’s top diplomat to Mozambique, died on Sunday after a short illness, aged 66.
In a statement on Tuesday, the ZANU PF spokesperson described Ambassador Matemadanda as a “stalwart of the Chimurenga-Umvukelo National Liberation War from the expatriate community of Zimbabwean exiles based in Zambia”.
Recounting the role of the exile community during the war, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said: “This patriotic exile community played a crucial role in supporting the fledgling ZANLA and ZIPRA Guerrilla armies at the incipient stage of the armed struggle.”
“Training principally in Tanzania, and deploying from Zambia, the two intrepid guerrilla armies sought to implant a permanent foothold on the soil of Zimbabwe as they militarily confronted the army of Rhodesia, the settler racist colonial outpost of the increasingly expanding British Empire.”
“This exile community was a ready reservoir of recruits as they concurrently organised material support to the patriotic cause of the People’s War inside Rhodesia.”
Explaining Ambassador Matemadanda’s role in saving his life, he said:
“Word of the hunger plight stalking Tembwe reached the exile community in Zambia. Comrade Matemadanda, together with the late Comrade Kombayi the post independent Mayor of Gweru organised a hunger rescue convoy of food trucks from Zambia to Tembwe. I still vividly remember that life-saving convoy to this day, five decades later.”
Ambassador Mutsvangwa lauded Ambassador Matemadanda for bravely defying the late former President Robert Mugabe.
“The dying years of the First Republic witnessed a senile and ailing Mugabe errantly lapsing into dynastic inclination. His youthful spouse and her cohorts saw an opportunity for a palace coup against the state so as to up end the permanent Zimbabwe Revolution.”
“Cde Matemadanda as the Secretary of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association- ZNLWA was in my leadership team with me as Chairman. We flatly refused to let the patriotic slide into a family dynasty.”
He described Ambassador Matemadanda “as bold courageous, daring as he was outspoken in challenging Mugabe’s perfidious assault of the Permanent Zimbabwe Revolution.”
He added:
“He would be imprisoned for his acts of open defiance to the wayward aging Mugabe.”
