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Felex Share Harare Bureau
Commander of 3 Infantry Brigade in Mutare Brigadier-General Eliah Bandama, who died on Friday last week and was declared a national hero, will be buried tomorrow at the National Heroes Acre.Brig-Gen Bandama died at West End Hospital in Harare.
He was 56.
Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi yesterday said government had taken over the funeral following the conferment of national hero status on Brig-Gen Bandama.
“He has been declared a national hero and we will do as normal,” he said.
Brig-Gen Bandama’s body was lying in state at One Commando Barracks in Harare.
The body was taken to his farm in Chipinge over the weekend and a funeral parade was held in his honour in Mutare.
Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairman Ambassador John Mvundura said 10 buses would ferry mourners from Manicaland to Harare for the burial.
“We have 10 buses for the whole province, with two going to ferry mourners gathered at the farm in Chipinge, while the other two will be in Mutare for workmates and friends,” he said.
“The remaining buses will be sent to all the districts in the province. We expect people to come in their numbers as we bid farewell to this illustrious son of the soil who freed Zimbabwe from colonial bondage.”
Brig-Gen Bandama, whose Chimurenga name was Spins Nhamoyesango, was born on December 1, 1958 in Chipinge.
Before completing his secondary education at Chikore Mission, he left the then Rhodesia for Mozambique en-route to Zambia and Tanzania in 1975.
Brig Gen Bandama had earlier been jailed in Chipinge and Mutare for striking against racist school authorities.
While in Mozambique, Brig-Gen Bandama was arrested together with colleagues on suspicion of being British South Africa Police agents.
They were transferred to Posto Machazi as prisoners where they met other Zimbabweans, with their numbers rapidly increasing until there were 6,000 of them.
They were addressed by President Mugabe and after that Brig-Gen Bandama was able to enter several military training camps.
At Chomupani Camp in 1977, Brig-Gen Bandama sustained injuries on his knee and thighs following multiple shots by Rhodesian helicopter gunships.
He was later chosen to undergo further military training in China and at ceasefire, Brig-Gen Bandama was among the first group selected to form the Zimbabwe National Army.
In 2005, Brig-Gen Bandama was appointed Commandant of the Zimbabwe Military Academy before he was posted to Army Headquarters three years later as Colonel (Staff General Branch).
In 2010, he was promoted to Brig-Gen and appointed Commander 4 Infantry Brigade after which he was moved to 3 Infantry Brigade in the same capacity.
Brig-Gen Bandama is survived by his wife Florence and four children.
Online Reporter