Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
Zanu PF secretary for external relations, Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, said there is a need to write liberation struggle war memoirs to help preserve experiences, honour comrades and inform future generations.
He said documenting the country’s liberation struggle will enable the young generation to appreciate and acquaint themselves with the rich liberation war history.
He said a lot of valuable information is being lost with the demise of many liberation icons who are dying without passing on the history. Cde Mumbengegwi said this at Mara Farm in Beatrice during the burial of freedom fighter and career diplomat, Cde Dzapasi Muchechetere Manhuna.
Cde Manhuna worked with several nationalists in Zambia, recruiting fighters to Tanzania for training.
After independence, he embarked on a long diplomatic service at the Zimbabwean embassy in the United Kingdom, where Cde Mumbengegwi was once head of mission.
“It’s a pity that we who would have been involved in the liberation struggle are not in the habit of writing memoirs,” said Cde Mumbengegwi.
“Now he has gone, but he has gone with a huge treasure of knowledge which none of us has,” said Cde Mumbengegwi.
He said there have been several freedom fighters whose contributions have never been told because there is no culture of documenting and recording historical events that led to the attainment of independence in 1980.
“That is why I regret our tradition of not writing our memoirs. I do not know how we can address it. I hope some around us here will one day sit and do the necessary research to illustrate how people like Cde Manhuna contributed to the struggle,” he said.
“The silent soldiers who fought quietly, away from the limelight, away from the media and achieved better results.”
He reminisced the period he worked with Cde Manhuna both in Zambia during the liberation struggle and as diplomats in the United Kingdom.
“We were very close with Cde Manhuna during the time I was Zimbabwe’s chief representative in Zambia during the liberation struggle and enjoyed his support. He was our political commissar and would put up big rallies,” he said.
“When Cde Josiah Tongogara died in Mozambique, I was in Mumbwa in Zambia addressing a huge rally which Cde Manhuna had helped to mobilise.
“We were explaining to the people the outcome of the Lancaster House conference in the UK when my driver came to whisper to me about Tongogara’s death.
“I had to leave Mumbwa and return to Lusaka and left Cde Manhuna to conclude the rally, so that’s how great he was.”
He said during his diplomatic service, Cde Manhuna handled high-level protocol services so much that the royal family, led by the late Queen Elizabeth, knew him in person.
He said Cde Manhuna was humble and would never canvass for positions.
“He seemed to flourish very much in the shadows and yet achieved so much,” said Cde Mumbengegwi.
At the time of his death, Cde Manhuna had retired from active Government service. The event was attended by senior Government officials, Zanu PF cadres, friends and relatives.
