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He died at a Masvingo hotel last Thursday.
Cde Mudenge’s body lay in state at his homestead in the Bawa area in Zimuto on Saturday before it was flown to Harare aboard an Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopter at 2 pm yesterday afternoon. He will buried today at the National Heroes Acre.
A sombre atmosphere engulfed the Bawa area as relatives and friends came to pay homage to the veteran educationist and diplomat. Speaker after speaker described Cde Mudenge’s death as a huge loss to the province and the nation at large.
Zimbabwe Chiefs’ council president Chief Fortune Charumbira said Cde Mudenge was an exemplary leader and a straight forward person.
“Cde Mudenge was a straight forward person who always stood for the truth and had a deep passion to develop Masvingo province but now he is no more. We are at a loss so my appeal to everyone including the political leaders in this province is that lets walk in the same direction, lets unite as a way of honouring this gallant son of the province,” said Chief Charumbira.
Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Dzikamai Mavhaire said: “We have lost a great son of the province and there is no question about it and the challenge that is there for us who remain behind is to honour Cde Mudenge.”
Said Masvingo Governor and Resident Minister Cde Titus Maluleke: “The death of Cde Mudenge is a huge loss and the void he leaves behind will be difficult to fill, we used to rely on him for advice on key issues and without his advice the people of Masvingo are more poorer and vulnerable.”
Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Clemence Makwarimba said: “What hurts me most is that I was sitting with him at a hotel a few hours before he died and little did I know that we were parting ways.”
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairman Cde Lovemore Matuke said the revolutionary party was the biggest loser in Masvingo because Cde Mudenge was always there for it.
Cde Mudenge joins other late luminaries in Masvingo such as Vice President Simon Muzenda, Retired Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai, Retired General Vitalis Zvinavashe and Dr Eddison Zvobgo among others who were declared national heroes.
Mr George Chabururuka, the director of Finance and Administration in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education said Cde Mudenge was a principled man who wanted every Zimbabwean to have access to higher education.
Accompanying Cde Mudenge’s body were his widow Mildred and son Pedzisayi, Chief Charumbira, Governor Maluleke, Cde Matuke, Major General Engelbert Rugeje, Retired Major General Gibson Mashingaidze and Four Brigade Deputy Commander Colonel Gift Murawa.
Harare Institute of Technology also extended their condolences to the Mudenge family.
“To HIT Dr Mudenge was an enigma, scholar of note, historian, diplomat, motivational speaker and astute politician rolled into one. He was the patron of our pioneer national outreach HIT Robotics Challenge tournament which he was to unveil in
Masvingo next Saturday,” said HIT acting vice chancellor, Engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe in a statement.
In Harare Cde Mudenge’s body was taken to his Ballantyne Park house in where a church service was conducted before President Mugabe addressed mourners.
Cde Mugabe described the death of Cde Mudenge as a great loss to the nation.
He said Cde Mudenge was an exceptional educationalist who studied in various countries such as England and the United States of America before coming back to work for the Government at independence.
President Mugabe chronicled how Cde Mudenge did a thorough research on the Munhumutapa Empire and how one of Munhumutapa’s sons ended up being a missionary in India.
“VaMudenge ndakavaziva kareko vachiri kuchikoro. Taitaura nezvavo nanaVaMuzenda. Vakazodzidzisa kunyika dzakawanda. Kwese Kwese kunana Sierra Leone, Swaziland nanaLesotho vaivaziva,” he said.
President Mugabe said at independence they relied on people such as Cde Mudenge to lead key Government positions. He said Cde Mudenge started to work in Government as secretary before he was deployed as Zimbabwe’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
He said Cde Mudenge was later recalled and reassigned as Foreign Affairs Minister.
By the time of his death Cde Mudenge was the Minister of Tertiary and Higher Education.
“Takati paindependence ivo vanhu vakaita sachangamire vedzidzo ava, changamire wenhoroondo yenyika vaMudenge ndivo vataiti nyika zvayangayauya tovaisa mumaminisitiri kunyange vakange vasina ruzivo rwekuti hurumende inofambiswa sei.
Asi takati neruzivo rwavainarwo havangazvikoniwi,” said the President. He said Cde Mudenge was working hard to ensure that the country had a State University in every province.
President Mugabe urged students in tertiary institutions to preserve the country’s heritage and culture. He said Zimbabwe had the highest literacy rate in Africa and such intellect should be used to develop the country.
“We are the best in Africa . . . We want our children to be educated hupfumi hwowavapo asi huri hwedu.
“Hatidi kuti tirambe takagarwa matumba nevarungu. Macompany avo achingouya achichera achitisiya nemakomba chete,” said President Mugabe.
President Mugabe said Cde Mudenge was gored by a bull at his farm and sustained serious injuries recently. He said he suspected the injuries contributed to his death.
President Mugabe said Cde Mudenge returned to work although it was clear that he was still in pain. “He took a long time nursing the injuries,” President Mugabe said adding that Cde Mudenge insisted in reporting for duty.
President Mugabe said Cde Mudenge was dedicated to his job. He said before his untimely death, Cde Mudenge had visited Lupane State University and he was due to address the 39th session of South Africa Society for Education Conference.
He said Cde Mudenge was supposed to join him at the graduation ceremony at Chinhoyi State University last Friday.
“Tomorrow we shall lay him to rest and bid him farewell but we pray that his intellect will remain with us and that his humility will remain with us. We shall always be proud that our country produced a man of his character,” said President Mugabe.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter