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medical centre in Victoria Falls, has been declared a national hero.
He will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare on Wednesday.
Cde Muntanga, who was Binga legislator from 1980 to 1985, succumbed to heart complications.
Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa yesterday said President Mugabe conferred national hero status on Cde Muntanga.
“His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF, Cde R. G Mugabe has conferred national hero status on Cde Sikajaya Andrew Muntanga who died on 10 July 2011 in Victoria Falls,” he said.
Party deputy spokesperson Cde Cain Mathema said the Politburo had unanimously endorsed Cde Muntanga’s hero status.
“The Politburo unanimously agreed that Cde Muntanga is a national hero. The national chairman, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo will lead the delegation to the Muntanga family to inform them of the hero status. He will be accompanied by Cde Jacob Mudenda,” he said.
Cde Mathema described Cde Muntanga as “a revolutionary par-excellence who worked tirelessly, consistently and persistently for the whole nation together with other cadres.
“The party has lost a gallant son who worked hard even during negotiations for the unity accord between Zanu-PF and Zapu.
“He was a man who was very humble and open. He deserved to be a national hero. He wasn’t a tribalist, he was a national leader. He spoke in Tonga, Ndebele and Shona,” said Cde Mathema who is also the
Governor and Resident Minister for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province.
Politburo member Cde Richard Ndlovu said Cde Muntanga deserved to be a national hero because of his contributions during and after the armed struggle.
“He was a hardworker. We couldn’t penetrate Binga until Muntanga availed himself. He was with the missionaries for a very long time but when he realised that people wanted their freedom, he left the missionaries and joined the liberation struggle,” he said.
Cde Muntanga completed Standard Six in 1961 at St Mary’s Mission School in Hwange.
At 24 he became a devout Catholic.
Cde Muntanga went to Zambia to train as a Roman Catholic priest but when he heard that the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo was inspiring both the young and the old to join the liberation struggle, he left his priesthood studies and headed back to Zimbabwe.
He joined Zapu in 1965 when the leadership assigned him to Binga to open up Zapu branches there.
Cde Muntanga traversed the whole district on foot organising the Tonga people to join mainstream politics.
He was affectionately known as “Siamazuba Bigman”, which meant the big man of the moment.
When Zapu’s western north province was formed, Cde Muntanga was elected deputy provincial organising secretary under Cde Richard Ndlovu.
In 1972 when the Pearce Commission went into Zapu’s Western North Province, Cde Muntanga had already mobilised people for a “No” vote.
He was banned from entering Binga district as he was declared persona non grata.
He was imprisoned in Hwange and later at Hwa-Hwa Prison.
Cde Muntanga then went to London where he mobilised material support for the freedom fighters for all Zapu camps in Zambia.
In 1975, Cde Muntanga was re-deployed to Zambia where he worked under Vice President John Nkomo in the works camp.
He was elevated to become a member of the Zipra Revolutionary Council and was subsequently chosen to be one of the delegates to the Lancaster House Independence talks.
Prior to the 1980 independence elections, Cde Muntanga was elected Member of the Central Committee for PF-Zapu and held the position of deputy national organising secretary.
After the unity accord he was elected provincial secretary for the commissariat for Matebeleland North province, a position he held up to 2000 before stepping down because of ill-health.
He was, however, elevated to the position of National Consultative Assembly member in recognition of his sterling work during the liberation struggle.
He was re-elected Member of Parliament for Binga from 1995 to 2000 before retiring from active politics on medical grounds.
He is survived by wife Regina and six children.
Mourners are gathered at his house in Victoria Falls.
Online Reporter