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Patrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
ZANU-PF National Chairman Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday described war veteran and former diplomat Kotsho Lloyd Dube who died in Bulawayo on Monday as a man of pronounced liberation war credentials, a principled revolutionary and man of the people.
Dube, a Zanu-PF Central Committee member and former National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) board chairperson died in his sleep at his home in Kumalo suburb, Bulawayo on Monday morning at the age of 79.
His family told Chronicle that Matabeleland South province sent Dube’s curriculum vitae to the Politburo for national hero status consideration.
In his letter of condolence to the Dube family, Ambassador Moyo said his family was still in a state of shock, dismay and exasperation.
“He was a man of incredible intellectual skills, an accomplished scholar, a man of pronounced liberation war credentials, a deep thinker, principled, focused, a true revolutionary, humble and above all a man of the people- son of the soil,” said Cde Moyo.
He said the history of the country’s liberation struggle has pages of his immense contribution to its freedom and independence.
He said Dube was an exceptional patriot and always led from the front.
“The nation is proud of this intellectual and political giant. Zimbabwe is poorer by his absence. We will miss him greatly,” said Cde Moyo.
Ousted Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson, Professor Callistus Ndlovu said Dube was a brother and a father to him. He said he lived with Dube for a long time from the time they finished studies at Kutama Mission up to when he visited him in Lusaka.
Prof Ndlovu said Dube was a loyal member of PF-Zapu.
He said he worked with Dube from the liberation struggle until the country attained independence.
“I hope that the party (Zanu-PF) recommend a national hero status for him,” said Prof Ndlovu.
Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa said he went to Kutama Mission with Dube before they finished their Matric at Thekwani Secondary School in 1956.
“He then joined Barclays Bank together with Mike Ndubiwa. I was with the next group that later joined that bank. From 1963 he started getting involved in sabotage and became a member of National Democratic Party,” said Dabengwa.
He said Dube played a major role in PF-Zapu’s fight against the colonisers.
Dube was born on June 25, 1935 in Malindi village, Matobo District.
From 1945 to 1951, Dube attended Zamanyoni Primary School up to Standard Six before proceeding to Mzingwane Secondary School for Standard Six.
From 1955 to 1956, he joined the Joint Matriculation Board for Universities of South Africa and Thekwani Secondary School.
Between 1961 and 1963, he was an Articled Law Clerk at Coghlan Welsh and Guest Attorneys.
He worked at the then Bank of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1963 to 1965.
From 1965 to 1972, Dube represented PF-Zapu at the United Nations and South America with operations based in New York.
Later his mandate was extended to cover United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Western Europe with offices in London.
He was tasked with promoting Zimbabwe’s struggle, lobbying and securing pro-freedom policy assets from governments, trade unions, students and the general public in countries of assignment.
In 1979, Dube moved to Lusaka, Zambia where he became the director of information and editor-in-chief of PF-Zapu publications.
He was a member of PF-Zapu delegation to the Lancaster House Conference on Decolonisation of Zimbabwe from 1979 to 1980.
At Independence up to 1990, Dube was a member of the National Executive of PF-Zapu and held the positions of secretary for publicity, secretary for education and national director of elections for PF-Zapu in 1985.
Between 1988 and 1990, he was a member of the national integration committee tasked to implement the Unity Accord between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu.
In 1989 working as deputy secretary for administration, Dube saw the ascension of the late First Lady Cde Sally Mugabe to the helm of the Women’s league.
In October 1990, he did a diplomatic course before ambassadorial posting to France.
From 1990 to 1996, Dube was ambassador extra-ordinary and plenipotentiary of Zimbabwe to France, Spain, Portugal, the Vatican and UNESCO.
In 1997 to 2000, he was a member of board of directors for the Zimbabwe Investment Centre and vice chairman of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.
From 2002 to 2004 he was appointed ambassador to Nigeria before moving to Zambia in the same post from 2004 to 2006.
In 2012 to 2013 he was appointed chairman of the NRZ board of directors.
Dube is survived by wife, Agatha, three children and three grandchildren.
Mourners are gathered at 35 George Avenue, Kumalo.
Funeral arrangements are underway.
Online Reporter