Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
VETERAN journalist, war veteran and historian, Cde Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu was yesterday laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery, with speakers describing him as a warm-hearted man who loved his family and the people.
The funeral service of Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu, who died at the age of 87 last Friday, was held at his home, 16 Jungle Road in Bulawayo’s Trenance suburb.
Among those that attended the funeral were Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube; Zanu-PF Politburo member and Minister of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Cde Sithembiso Nyoni; former
Transport Minister Cde Nicholas Goche, who married Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu’s cousin; renowned historian Pathisa Nyathi; King Mambo (Mike Moyo); the son of late nationalist and national hero, George Silundika, Felix; and former ZPRA chief of military intelligence and Retired Brigadier-General Abel Mazinyane.
The late Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu’s wife, Caroline, described her husband as a unifier and a loving man.
“He was a man who wanted us to stick to the truth and not lie. He loved and took care of his family and he was very protected. He loved everyone and this is what he left me with. I view everyone from the family as the same, I don’t favour anyone whether they are from my side of my family or his, they are all the same to me.
“If I see anyone being discriminatory, I feel upset. He taught me to treat a person as a fellow human being; God’s creation. He was very respectful,” said Mrs Gwakuba Ndlovu.
She said she was happy that her husband died knowing God.
“I don’t have any qualms with my husband and I believe that he too had no qualms with me. I’m happy that he died when he had given his life to God. That is my heart’s desire that whoever between us dies, we shall meet in heaven because we both have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,” said Mrs Gwakuba Ndlovu.
His son, Namati said his father, who he referred to as Tate, meant a lot to many people including him.
“Tate is being laid to rest today and there are so many ways in which we can take his passing on. But we choose to be strong, because we know the kind of man he is and the kind of children he brought us up to be. In all my life as young as I am, I’ve never come across a mind as powerful as Tate’s mind.
I always wanted to see Tate smile and laugh. The first thing he taught us to use our minds and from a very young age he taught us to memorise things,” said Namati, before reciting a Kalanga poem that he was taught by his father at the age of six.
His daughter, Chipo, said Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu told her that he was about to die some time ago.
“He was my father and my best friend. Three days before I left, he called me outside and said Chipo you are going, thank you for the time I had with you. Go and tell Namati that when I go, take care of your mother. But don’t tell your mother this, because she will start saying ‘in the name of Jesus you won’t die’,” said Chipo, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“Three weeks ago was my birthday and Tate bought a cake to celebrate it. They cut the cake with my mother and sent me a voice note. He prayed for me and said I bless you. I love him and his life should be celebrated as he is with the Father.”
Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu’s nephew Mr Bulukani Timothy Kumile Masola said as a family they were sad that his uncle was not conferred national hero status.
“It is sad that our system of conferring respect to some of the people who have contributed to the country, we believe is not fair. We all thought that the conferment of Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu as a national hero was going to be a reality. But all of us are saddened and very hurt as the family and the leadership must understand that there are other things like this that are not acceptable. This man gave so much,” said Mr Masola.
He said Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu made him know who he is.
“He made me understand the culture and history of Dombodema and the Kalangas. I believe if you know who you are you get grounded in life and you walk around with pride and confidence,” said Mr Masola, who thanked his aunt Mrs Gwakuba Ndlovu for her patience and being by his side.
Mr Leslie Gwindi, whose mother was Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu’s sister, said it was very difficult to say much about his uncle as he did a lot during his time alive.
He said he remembers that Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu used to read the news on radio and his mother would tell him that the person behind the voice was his uncle.
“He would say don’t worry about suffering, because suffering will give you perseverance. You should be able to keep moving and perseverance shapes character. And people should understand where you are going and he would say do things for the community,” said Mr Gwindi.
“We are extremely hurt that he has passed away. We wanted to stay sometime with him, although we knew that he was not going to be with us for long.”
During the liberation struggle, Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was the director of publicity and information of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu), between 1964 and 1978.
In 1972, Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was sent to the Soviet Union by Zapu and among his group were now Brigadier-General (Retired) Abel Mazinyane, Colonel (Retired) Thomas “Menu” Ngwenya, late Cde Jack Amos Ngwenya, Cde Phebione Makonese, Cde Easter Ndiweni and Cde Josiah Ncube.
Brigadier-General (Retired) Mazinyane was at a loss of words said Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was always in a good mood.
“He was always in a jovial mood. If you want to tell him about something, thinking that you know it, with him you will always be the one at the end of the conversation being the listener.
“He had been all over the world, he knew most parts of the world. As we continued in the Soviet Union the temperatures dropped to minus 20 to 30 degrees and that affected him. And then he really struggled and he was uplifted to a warmer climate, that is in Cairo,” said Brig-Gen Mazinyane.
He chronicled some of the encounters that he had with Cde Ndlovu and also when visiting him at his home.
King Mambo said Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was very instrumental in setting up the Mambo Dynasty and urged the City Fathers to rename a road after him.
“I will ask the people who are councillors in Bulawayo, they should name a road after Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu in his honour. Even this one that leads to his home, Jungle Road, could be renamed after him. We would be happy for this, as we know what he has done for the country and for us as an organisation,” said King Mambo.
In 2014, Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was among 21 pioneers of the liberation struggle who received the Liberation and Independence Medals, together with six serving ZDF members and three who were retired.
Resident Minister Judith Ncube said Zimbabwe had lost a son of the soil.
“Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu is a man and a son of the soil. There is no way that what he has done will be erased by anyone.
“He has done a lot for the nation, be it before or after independence. I heard that there is a medal that was given to ubaba uNdlovu in recognition of what he has done in the liberation struggle. That alone is enough evidence that he worked very hard,” said Minister Ncube.
Cde Sithembiso Nyoni said the country has lost an encyclopaedia of the liberation struggle.
“We have lost a man who had the history of the struggle. He knew where we were from and where we were going. He was humble and knew how to write.
“Many people in Africa we don’t write, we speak. What we’re looking forward to as the people who worked with him that the medal that he was given would have been fulfilled today. But as the Minister of State has said, everything didn’t go according to plan. She said she would follow up,” said Cde Nyoni.
She urged the family to stay united like what was preached and practised by Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu when he was alive.
The funeral procession drove to Lady Stanley Cemetery, his final resting place with 30 close relatives, as part of the Covid-19 protocols. — @bonganinkunzi
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