Vusumuzi Dube
Former Energy and Power
Development permanent secretary and liberation war stalwart, Justin
Mupamhanga, who died in Harare on Wednesday, has been declared a
national hero.
Mupamhanga, who is the father of the Deputy Minister for Youth
Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Kuda Mupamhanga,
succumbed to diabetes and high blood pressure at Arundel Clinic.
Announcing the hero status in a condolence message, Acting President
General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga urged the Mupamhanga family to
take solace from the fact that the whole country joins them in mourning
the career civil servant credited with the implementation of government
programs as the Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for Monitoring and
Evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
He supervised numerous strategic and key government programs in
agriculture, energy and infrastructure development, and was involved in
improving development in Kanyemba, Mbire district, in Mashonaland
Central province.
Mupamhanga abandoned his studies at the University of Rhodesia in 1975
to join the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) in
Mozambique. He was allowed to complete his studies after completing his
military training and later held important positions in the commissariat
and education departments of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU)
and ZANLA.
Acting President Chiwenga described Mupamhanga as a fireball workhorse
and go-getter, who continued to drive government programs and projects
with conviction, zeal and determination even after suffering a stroke.
Mupamhanga began his civil service career at independence in the
Economics Division of the President’s Department. He rose through the
ranks, first establishing and heading the Economics Branch before
serving as Minister Counsellor at Zimbabwe’s Diplomatic Mission in
London, United Kingdom.
He was later elevated to Deputy Director in the President’s Department
under President Emmerson Mnangagwa who was then Minister responsible for
State Security.
In times of the El Nino induced droughts that ravaged the Southern
African region from time to time, Mupamhanga became part of a task force
charged with importing grain and averting hunger in the country.
Other members of the task force included then Airforce Commander, Air
Marshal Perence Shiri, Major General Amoth Chimombe and Ngoni Masoka
who was the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mupamhanga was later appointed permanent secretary for Energy and Power
Development and played a key role in the liberalisation of the fuel
industry, which eliminated fuel shortages and increased participation by
indigenous businesses in the sector.
He also led the restructuring of the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe
and power utility the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) into
self-contained business units, and also introduced the Zimbabwe Energy
Regulatory Authority.
As Deputy Chief Secretary Responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation in
the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mupamhanga oversaw the
implementation of major projects including the construction of
Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.
The highlight of his career was being the chairperson of the Command
Agriculture where he laid the framework for agricultural productivity
and helping Zimbabwe to reclaim its breadbasket status in the region.
He retired in 2019 after 36 years of dedicated service to the government
and country but continued as chairman of Kuvimba Mining House.
Mupamhanga valued land, one of the major grievances that drove him and
other youth to join the liberation struggle, and carried out successful
farming operations in Mashonaland Central province. – New Ziana
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter