Muzariri declared national hero

died on Monday at St Annes Clinic after battling liver cancer has been declared a national hero.
He was 56.

President Mugabe announced the Politburo decision when he visited the Muzariri homestead in Harare to pay his condolences to the deceased’s family.
The President first conveyed the Politburo decision to Cde Muzariri’s widow and close relatives before addressing scores of mourners who came to pay their respects.
In his address to the family, President Mugabe said Cde Muzariri had shown brave-ry by joining the liberation struggle.
Cde Muzariri is likely to be buried on Saturday.

“Wapiwa rukudzo nebasa raakashanda, dambudziko raakaona mumasango imomu, kushinga kwaaive nako, kushinga kwaakaita kutambudzikira ruzhinji.
“Tichitarira zvose izvozvi taona kuti timu-pe kodzero, kuti timutunhidze kuti timupe zuva raenda, rukudzo runotiyeuchidza kuti kubatana kwatanga tiinako, kushinga, ticha-nge tiinako isu vasara,” he said.
The President said Cde Muzariri and other fallen heroes had left a legacy that future generations should emulate and preserve the gains of independence.

He said the whole nation was with Cde Muzariri on the sad occasion.
“Zvinorwadza kunamai nababa vakazvara, kumudzimai wanga uchiti ndinemuchengeti wangu waashirikadzi, vana dzaanherera.
“Zvinorwadza isu takafamba rwendo rwe-kurwira nyika naMenard rwanga rwakarema zvakanyanyisa mumatondo imomo, muma-sango imomo, nemumabasa ataimutuma . . . tikauya tese muna 1980 takaibata nyika tichi-ti ndizvo zvatanga takabvira munyika,” he said.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defe-nce Forces narrated Cde Muzariri’s role in matters of State Security.
“Takamuti basa hero kumauto, kusecurity kuvemaziso nenzeve dzenyika asi nhasi mu-shure memakore makumi matatu nerimwe nyika yauya, chauya chamupupuri tonzwa Menard aenda, haasisipo, apfuura.
‘‘Hongu akamboita urwere, akaenda Ku-China kushamwari dzedu akadzoka agwinya asi zvakadzoka zvagwinya – hapana zvaungaite – tonzwa aenda sezvakaitika nezuro tisina kutarira. Zvinorwadza.

“Tiri tose pakusvimha, tiri tose pakurwadziwa pamoyo asi tinoziva kuti pasi pano, sekuimba kunoita vechechi, izororo,” President Mugabe said.
In his address to the mourners President Mugabe said it was everyone’s duty to preserve the country’s sovereignty.
“Nyika yakakosha iyi ngairege kutenge-swa, ngairege kubatwa nesimbe izvozvo ndizvo zvinoita kuti ivava vakafa vazorore,” he said.

He condemned acts of political violence saying they were negatively affecting the country’s development.
“Kuti zvinhu zvienderere mberi ngative nerunyararo munyika, kubatana, kunzwanana.

“Tinoziva tinobva kwakasiyana-siyana asi mutupo watinosiirwa naaMuzariri ivava ndewekuti tiri veZimbabwe, we are all Zimbabweans.
“Zimbabwe yakauya neropa, nekuzvipira, shungu dzavanaMuzariri nevamwe vose, basa iroro rakaitwa navanaMuzariri, hongu tinomuchema asi ngarirambe richienda mberi,” he said.
President Mugabe added: “Tafirwa tose. Ndotsika yedu vatema. Tirambe takadaro. Tinoda runyararo. Zvekutatsurana zvatinonzwa, zvekuchekana nemapanga nekuti umwe anoda kuita chairman weparty, anoda kuenda kuParliament ndizvo zvingarwirwa izvozvo? Vanhu vochekana nemapnga, tinozviramba izvozvo, handizvo zvakarwirwa nanaMenard.”

The President said people who lose elections should accept defeat instead of engaging in violence.
“Takashanda naye zvakanaka tikamutuma kunyika dzakawandawanda, tikamutuma kumabasa akawanda.
“Asi hurwere hapana anoziva kuti hunouya riini akanga agwinya asi zvimwe zvirwere zvinoita sezvinorapika zvozouya secancer yaive nayo yechitaka,” he said.

President Mugabe said while not all Zimbabweans can be politicians it was important that everyone excel in their chosen fields for the upliftment of the country.
He said Cde Muzariri had been dedicated to the cause of the black majority.
“Wanga asiri murume wekuti zvandaenda kuchikoro ndoramba ndiriko kana ndapedza ndoshanda ndoramba ndiri muranda.

“Haana kubvuma izvozvo akazviramba,” he said.
The President said Cde Muzariri had been sent to various intelligence institutions because of his skills.
He said it was important for a nation to have intelligence organisations to ensure State Security from enemies.

“Varipo vasina kuzvipira kuti nyika haitengeswi…varipo vakadaro vanotengwa, varipo vanoshandiswa nevavengi kuti vasore nyika yedu.
“Tinavo nesuwo vatinotuma kune dzimwe nyika, zvino uyu waenda takamuisa kuintelligence.
“Kwakakosha ikoko hakuna nyika isinamaziso ekuti ndevapi vavengi vedu,” he said.

Cde Muzariri joined the liberation struggle in 1973 when he crossed into Mozambique while he was in Form Two at Mavhuradonha Secondary School in Mashonaland Central province.
He received military training at Mgagao Camp in Tanzania and proceeded to do an advanced instructor’s course at the same camp.
Between 1975 and 1977 he was tasked to work as a General Staff Liaison Officer and was posted to Zambia in 1978 where he worked at the party’s office as an administrator.

He was later transferred to Botswana in the same year where he worked as a political commissar at the party’s office.
In 1979 he was re-deployed to Mozambique in the party’s administration department.
At independence Cde Muzariri was re-deployed as an intelligence officer in the Prime Minister’s Office.

He trained at prestigious institutions in Africa and abroad.
He was promoted to the post of Head of Division in 1984 and then to be Director Internal in April 1997.
In 2003 he was appointed Deputy Director General, the post he held until the time of his death.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, Defence Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister, Herbert Murerwa, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo, Zanu PF national chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo, Air Marshall Perrance Shiri and other senior Government officials also paid their respects yesterday.
Cde Muzariri is survived by his wife Esther and five children.