adminNqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporter
HUNDREDS of Bulawayo residents yesterday gave the late former deputy mayor and outspoken politician Alderman Charles Mpofu, a hero’s send-off as they bade him farewell at an emotional funeral service in Nketa 9 suburb.Ald Mpofu, 55, was knocked down by an unlicensed truck driver on Saturday morning in Emganwini and died from injuries at the United Bulawayo Hospital on Sunday night.
Scores of residents and politicians from across the divide thronged Brethren in Christ Church in the suburb to pay their last respects to Ald Mpofu.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Cde Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, MPs Dr Gorden Moyo, Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, Senator Matson Hlalo, former minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo, fellow aldermen, councillors and council staff also attended the service at 2PM.
Speaker after speaker described Ald Mpofu as a fearless man who stood for principle. Cde Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo described Ald Mpofu as small man with very big ideas.
“In Bulawayo we need men like him. He was a progressive man and worked to serve the people of Bulawayo. He gave his life to serve the people,” she said.
“Let’s take Bulawayo seriously and not politicise development issues. Let’s remember where we are coming from.”
Earlier on at 11AM, Bulawayo councillors held a special meeting in the council chambers in honour of the service Ald Mpofu rendered to the city.
Fellow aldermen joined the councillors and took time to reflect on the days they worked with Mpofu.
Ald David Ndlovu said Mpofu was a man of many words who would challenge everything that was deliberated in council.
He said Ald Mpofu belonged to the “Arafat” group of outspoken councillors that included Clr Hlalo and the late Ald Mika Parira-Mpofu who would caucus before attending council meetings.
Ald Hlalo said Ald Mpofu also belonged to a group of candid councillors known as the “three musketeers” which worked to fight corruption.
“This was a hated group because it lived by principle and fought against unfair practices,” he said.
He described Mpofu as a brave cadre who had Bulawayo at heart and did everything for its development. Former deputy mayor Amen Mpofu said Mpofu’s uncompromising nature saw him being fired from several political parties.
Ald Mpofu was born in Filabusi in 1959 and attended Filabusi Primary School before joining the liberation struggle in 1977.
He served as a councillor for Ward 25 in Nketa from 1991 to 2008.
Ald Mpofu has been a member of several parties — Zanu-PF, MDC-T, MDC, Zapu and United People’s Party. He also served as an independent councillor for Nketa.
During his term of office in council, Ald Mpofu served on the Future Water Supplies and Water Action Committee, the Executive Committee (now General Purposes Committee), Finance and Development and Health, Housing and Education Committees. He chaired the last two committees.
He also served as council’s representative on outside bodies such as the Bulawayo Twinning Committee, Matabeleland North Provincial Council, National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe, Local Authorities Pension Fund (LAPF) Management Committee and the Urban Council’s Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ).
Ald Mpofu was also appointed as alternate for the Zimbabwe National Army Benevolent Fund Board of Trustees for the 2003/2004 Municipal Year, the time he was deputy mayor.
He was elevated to the status of alderman through a council resolution in August 2001 which was conferred on him the same year in October in recognition of his eminent civic and public service.
Ald Mpofu will be buried today at his rural home in Matopo’s Ntunjambila area. He is survived by wife Siphelile and three children.
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