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Dr Masimba Mavaza-Herald Correspondent
Today, as I sit to write, my mind does not allow the free flow of words.
I am unable to translate all my feelings into words. I feel too little even to write my heart out. I have assembled the audacity to write about the real-life hero and a gatherer of courage and a beacon of hope.
Whenever I sit and close my eyes and think for a second, I fail to comprehend the courage of a person who knows that death is standing in front of him, and yet he marches to protect those he has never seen or met.
I think for a while whether I would be a brave heart to give even a single small toe for a stranger in my life?
I would immediately freeze saying, why should I? At times, we are reluctant to give a bottle of our blood, which is utterly harmless. But former Deputy Chief Secretary Mupamhanga sacrificed his life to save others.
He was a good administrator and the best operative ever to grace our land.
Today I write with tears down my cheeks. I say fare thee well Cde Mupamhanga, a valiant soldier and leader of leaders.
My mind wanders to the famous words of William Shakespeare, the great English author when he says:
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.”
When I worked briefly under him, he taught me to have courage and to believe in my dreams, to pursue them no matter what.
He was strict and his strictness created tough officers in the economic field and in any department he touched.
Cde Mupamhanga was an excellent diplomat. He demonstrated his diplomatic skills when he was in the United Kingdom where he served as a counsellor.
As I roll my mind back, I find these questions presenting themselves.
“Then what is this brave heart made of? Is his blood-red or multi coloured as our flag? Is it blood flowing through his veins or just the immense cacoethes to live for others and die for others? Had his mother fed him milk or the hysteria to live and die for the country?
How large is the heart of those mothers who surrendered their kids for the sake of the country and smile pompously? It is true that Justin Mupamhanga is not dead; he has become immortal?
I guess as the country smiles, the heroes become commemorated.
It is effortless to sit and write about him or praise him on special occasions, but please close your eyes and empathise with this soldier’s conditions.
Imagine the thoughts he may have felt before he met his death.
But the dedication and the devotion towards his motherland and love for fellow citizens was so strong that he bravely embraced death.
Presume his quandary in the thickest of the forests fighting for you and me. Did his blood not boil in ovens of Chiredzi? Envision his difficulty in the scorching, arid sweltering heat of Zimbabwean forests standing under the relentless sun to fight for our liberation.
Cde Mupamhanga sacrificed all for Zimbabwe. My heart bled when I heard he had lost the battle with diabetes and high blood pressure.
He sacrificed to give us sweet and peaceful sleep at night and a life filled with bliss and affluence.
Friends, let us value his sacrifice. Let us commiserate with his family. Let us live with unity and affection. The country we live in is a magnificent land. Our land’s mud is prolific not because of the soil, but because of the blood of the unsung, brave, and sacrificing heroes. Let us kiss this land and spread love.
Cde Mupamhanga was the former Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, and was also the Kuvimba Mining House board chairman.
He will be remembered as a transformative leader who demonstrated extraordinary dedication, wisdom, and passion during his time in all offices he worked in.
All those who liked and disliked him agree that throughout his tenure, Cde Mupamhanga shaped their mission and inspired everyone around him.
He touched the lives of many, not only within the Government, but also in the broader community, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
His legacy will remain a source of inspiration for years to come.
He is the father to the current Deputy Minister of Youth and legislator for Mt Darwin South, Kudakwashe.
Kuda got his political astute from his father, as he showed that apples will fall not far from the tree.
Today, we mourn in honour of and in tribute to a father to all; a member of the greatest generation, which sacrificed all to free us from bondage.
Cde Mupamhanga never talked about his service in the military. But we knew that he had served in the liberation struggle during Chimurenga 2.
Because of his dedication to duty, Cde Mupamhanga, was declared a National Hero.
This was announced by Acting President Dr Constantino Chiwenga through a statement on Tuesday.
VP Chiwenga said: “In recognition of his distinguished role in the struggle for Independence and in the development of our nation, especially in laying the foundations and growing the agriculture and energy sectors, President Mnangagwa conferred him with the National Hero status.”
Cde Mupamhanga was an illustrious son of the soil.
“In recognition of his distinguished role in the struggle for Independence and in the development of the nation, especially in laying the foundations and growing the agriculture and energy sectors,” VP Chiwenga said.
Cde Mupamhanga was a veteran of the liberation struggle, having joined the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) in 1975.
He later played a critical role in driving the implementation of Government programmes, as Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation in the Office of the President.
He later held important positions in the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and ZANLA commissariat and education departments.
After Independence, he began his civil service career in the Government in 1983 in the Economics Division of the President’s Department, and he rose through the ranks, occupying critical Government and ministerial positions, among other duties.
What the nation has lost, the heavens have gained.
Cde Mupamhanga, Fare thee well. Until we meet again.
Online Reporter