Tinaye Agere
Zimpapers Politics Hub
NATIONAL HERO Cde Justin Mupamhanga, who was former Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, died at Arundel Clinic on Wednesday morning.
He has since been described as a true patriot who spent a huge part of his life working for the nation.
Cde Mupamhanga is father to Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Deputy Minister Kudakwashe Mupamhanga.
Deputy Minister Mupamhanga said his father’s condition deteriorated last week.
“Last week an endoscopy was done but he was found with no ulcer which he had suspected since December. I was out of the country and on landing back home on Saturday, I was summoned to hospital. I asked him what the problem was, and he told me that he was not aware. He was quietly managing the pain,” he said.
“On Sunday, we watched the Manchester United and Brighton & Hove match together in hospital and we made bets. I won the bet and he was yet to give me my US$50.
“When we went to see him on Monday, he looked a bit weaker, but we spoke about a lot of issues. Yesterday, he was having difficulties breathing and was put on life support. Unfortunately, he could not make it.”
He said his father was an introvert.
“That’s the way he lived his life. He was a pillar of strength and an idol to the whole family in which he was an elder; we all looked up to him,” he said.
“His illness started in 2016 when he was hit by a stroke. He taught himself how to write again and got back to work.
“He was managing a lot of ailments until his retirement in 2019. Things got complicated in 2021 when he was diagnosed with arthritis of the spine. He was a strong man.”
Last year alone, he added, his father had six separate operations.
Cde Mupamhanga’s career was punctuated by significant contributions to the liberation struggle.
In 1975, he left university for military training in Mozambique.
During this period, he held several political and military portfolios within ZANU and ZANLA, chiefly in the commissariat and education departments, contributing significantly to ZANU PF liberation goals.
Cde Mupamhanga joined the public service on March 1, 1983, where was assigned in the economics division of the President’s Department.
His commitment and skills base saw him rise through the ranks.
In 1992, he was promoted to lead the division, and he eventually assumed the role of Deputy Director of External Intelligence.
Two years later, Cde Mupamhanga was assigned to London, England, as minister counsellor and was to be called back in 1996 to revamp the Economics Division into the Economics Branch.
His duties included forging vital connections between this branch and various economic stakeholders across the country.
He also led a taskforce responsible for food security during the droughts leading up to 2002, which included Air Force Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Major-General Amoth Chingombe, and Ngoni Masoka, who was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture at the time.
The taskforce worked closely with security forces and senior Government officials to import maize and avert hunger.
Cde Mupamhanga was later to be appointed as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development.
During his tenure, he was instrumental in recommending the liberalisation of the fuel industry, a move that alleviated fuel shortages and encouraged greater involvement by indigenous businesses.
He was also pivotal in restructuring the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority into more efficient, self-contained entities. Furthermore, he played a significant role in the establishment of the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority.
In 2012, Mupamhanga was promoted to Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet.
In this role, he oversaw the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of various Government programmes and projects.
He was involved in the oversight of Command Agriculture under his then-boss Dr Misheck Sibanda, who was Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet.
After a distinguished career spanning 36 years, Cde Mupamhanga retired from public service in November 2019.
He continued to contribute to Zimbabwe’s development, serving as the chairperson of Kuvimba Mining House.
He is survived by wife Ida Mupamhanga, also known as Cde Editor, whom she met in 1977 during the war, four sons and several grandchildren.
Online Reporter