Online Reporter
The Herald, 7 July 1999
A SELF PROCLAIMED spirit medium (mhondoro), Mbuya Emma Ngirazi, affectionately known in Matabeleland as VaTebele, was among the thousands of mourners who converged at the national Heroes Acre on Monday to pay their last respects to Cde Nkomo.
She came in black traditional regalia, a stabbing spear and heavy beads around her neck and wrists, as a sign of respect to the departed great leader.
“I am here representing all the mhondoros of the country. All the spirits respect him and it is a very sad day for us,” she said.
Mbuya Ngirazi said she first saw Cde Nkomo when she was 10 years old.
Cde Nkomo was then in detention at the notorious Gonakudzingwa Detention Camp.
“The next time I saw him was in the late 1980s in Harare and I still had the same respect for him.”
Cde Jabulani Lunga, a Bulawayo-based war veteran, researching on the history of Zimbabwe, said all war veterans would miss Cde Nkomo.
The void, he said, would be hard to fill, but most people were prepared to uphold the legacy of unity which he fought for and left behind.
“He knew no race, religion, tribe or family. During the war he treated us all as soldiers regardless of where one came from. This is the reason why we called him Father Zimbabwe.
“He was our father, mentor and comrade,” said Cde Lunga.
War veterans were happy that they had also shown their respect to the late Vice President when he was still alive. They had given him a leopard skin which symbolises great respect for a leader of his nature.
Lessons for today:
- This highlights the profound respect and admiration that various individuals and groups had for Cde Joshua Nkomo, a prominent Zimbabwean leader.
- Nkomo’s leadership style, characterised by non-partisanship and putting others first, was admired by many.
- “Father Zimbabwe” is a title given to Cde Joshua Nkomo in recognition of his pivotal role in the fight for Zimbabwe’s independence and his efforts to unify the nation.
- This title reflects the deep respect and admiration that many Zimbabweans have for him due to his significant contributions to the country’s liberation and development.
- Nkomo’s efforts to unite different factions and promote reconciliation have had a lasting influence on Zimbabwe’s political landscape. His role in the Unity Accord of 1987, which merged ZAPU with ZANU to form ZANU-PF, helped to stabilise the country and reduce political violence.
