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Harare Bureau
THE statue of the late Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo should be erected at Africa Unity Square with immediate effect, councillors resolved last week.
Councillors said the statue must be erected in Harare as he deserved such an honour.
The late VP’s statue has not been erected although a resolution was passed in 2010 to put his statue in the central business district.
Work once commenced in 2010 along Julius Nyerere Way where construction workers installed steel roads to support the huge structure but there were reservations over the site until the matter spilled to the High court which passed a judgment stopping the move.
The motion to erect the statue was moved by MDC-T Glen View ward 32 Cllr Tungamirai Madzoke who was seconded by all councillors.
“The statue of the late Vice President Cde Joshua Nkomo should be erected at the Africa Unity square. And there is no one who doubts the contributions he made during and after the colonial times,” he said.
Rugare, Southerton and Lochnivar ward 13 Clr Peter Moyo said the late VP united people of all races.
“He was a unifier, an African icon and there are a lot of tribes be it Kalanga or Shona,etc in Zimbabwe. If we don’t honour such people we are doomed as the country’s history can’t be complete,” he said.
The acting Mayor Cllr Thomas Muzuva resolved that the resolution should emanate from the environmental management committee for all councillors to approve the recommendations.
VP Nkomo died on July 1, 1999 and was buried at The National Heroes Acre.
In Harare, the airport road has been named after him as has the Bulawayo International airport.
After his death in 1999 numerous commemorations have been held as well as musical galas, photo exhibitions and memorials to keep alive the principles he stood for.
Online Reporter