Online Reporter
Africa Moyo in LUSAKA, Zambia
It was an emotional moment yesterday for Vice President Kembo Mohadi when he visited the house in Chilenje, Lusaka where former Zanu Chairman Cde Herbert Wiltshire Chitepo lived and was murdered.
Cde Chitepo lived at 150, Muramba Road, just a few kilometres from the house of Zambia’s founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
VP Mohadi stood next to the place where Cde Chitepo’s blue Volkswagen Beatle exploded in a bomb planted by the Rhodesian security forces, killing him instantly, on March 18, 1975, together with Silas Shamiso, one of his bodyguards.
The other bodyguard, Mr Sadat Kufamadzuba, was injured and is understood to be living in Bindura.
Neighbours said the explosion was so powerful that part of the car was thrown onto the roof of the house, uprooted a tree and injured a boy who lived next door.
Now, the house has a new owner, who has agreed to sell the house to the Zimbabwean Government so that it can be immortalised.
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe director Mr Lovemore Mandima, led the tour. He explained to VP Mohadi that the garage where the car used to be parked, was intact until recently.
“But what is critical is that efforts by the Government to acquire the house for purposes of memorialising Cde Chitepo, are going on well.
“I have good news which I got yesterday evening; our friends from the National Heritage Conservation Commission say they have managed to interact with the current owner who opened it up for us (to visit yesterday) and also is willing to sell the house.
“You might be aware that the blue vehicle that was used (by Cde Chitepo) is being kept at the National Heroes Acre, we took it from here,” he said.
VP Mohadi said he still vividly remembers the spot where Cde Chitepo was killed. “This is where his blood was spilled, I remember that very well. It is painful,” he said, pointing at the spot and visibly emotional.
Zambia’s National Heritage Conservation Commission acting executive director Mr Kagosi Mwamulowe, said since the exact location of Cde Chitepo’s killing is known, they can help in erecting his statue.
Earlier on, VP Mohadi had started his working visit by touring Chilenje House, where Dr Kaunda lived with his wife, Madam Betty Banda and family.
Chilenje House 394 is in Chilenje, Lusaka, where Dr Kaunda lived from January 1960 to December 1962.
Today, he is expected to travel to Kabwe ahead of visits to St Mary’s Cemetery, Mulungushi and Mkushi Girls Camp.
VP Mohadi was accompanied by Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Reverend Paul Damasane, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Omphile Marupi, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Zambia Charity Charamba and Institute of African Knowledge (Instak) chief executive Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi.
Peter Tanyanyiwa