adminMvuma, on Wednesday ahead of the announcement of the hero status requested by the Midlands Province.
Born to Mugandani Simbanegavi at Chomukova Police Post in the Chirumanzu area, Cde Rwodzi was exposed to the cruel existence perpetrated by the colonial regime at an early age.
His father Mugandani would not spare him all the incidents of injustice perpetrated on him.
His was a daily experience of seeing his father toil under the yoke of antagonistic settler repression.
On completing his studies at Holy Cross Mission, Cde Rwodzi took it as his personal calling to study the regime with the hope of liberating his country from oppression and in so doing eliminate the inhuman treatment visited on fellow black people.
In 1964, Cde Rwodzi joined Zanu Highfield branch where he cut his teeth in national political activism after finding out that Cde Leopold Takawira, his uncle, friend and homeboy was the district chairman.
He closed ranks with the late vice-president Cde Simon Muzenda, Edgar Tekere and others and went on a crusade of conscientising fellow men with the doctrine of education and liberation.
The chimurenga column ignited within Highfield, and on a daily basis, Cde Rwodzi submitted records of party activities to Cde L Takawira at the end of the day.
From 1975-1980 while in Mozambique and Zambia, Cde Rwodzi would distribute drugs to Zanla and Zipra camps undercover as a business executive from Sterling Drugs International.
With the frequent visits to Mozambique, he would hold meetings with the then Mozambican president Samora Moises Machel.
He consulted on the mobilisation of and consolidation of arms of war, drugs and recruitment of cadres to the war front.
Following the incarceration of Zanu vice president Cde Leopold Takawira, Cde Rwodzi spread his activism to Mbare and Mufakose where he encouraged youths to join the struggle, and further vested means of transporting thousands across into Mozambique for training.
At UDI, Cde Rwodzi was involved in a fatal accident that limited his activism to a large extent.
For a long period he was hospitalised and his fractured legs restricted him to office work.
Between 1974-1979 as the liberation struggle escalated, Cde Rwodzi worked hand-in-glove with the late vice president Cde Simon Vengai Muzenda within the Mvuma-Gutu and Masvingo areas.
It was during this period, one of the toughest during the struggle that he joined a Jewish company, Kaufmann & Sons, manufacturers of clothing and footwear.
Cde Rwodzi’s mission was to clothe the freedom fighters.
The drugs were not a problem, as he would stuff them in his jeans and overalls.
Medicines were distributed courtesy of Drs Simon Mazorodze and Ushewokunze.
Cde Rwodzi’s task became easier albeit during tough times.
As a sales consultant he would ensure that fighters from Zvishavane to Zvavahera were adequately supplied, but during such operations mishaps occurred.
During one such tour of duty, Cde Rwodzi’s car was burnt to a shell in the Zvishavane area and he was forced to walk, limping for 100km under cross-examination.
As fate would have it, he was back in the same area with a brand new car, supplying more quantities of medicines and clothing paraphernalia to the freedom fighters.
His co-ordinates during the struggle became fighters like Cde Stuart Killer Mabhunu (Zvidzai), whom he met in Serima, Simukayi Timapedze Mabhunu, Cde Tichatonga and many others.
Cde Rwodzi’s bravery remains in the minds of the likes of Cde Maud Muzenda, whom he smuggled under the noses of the Rhodesian forces, out of Mvuma when the settler regime wanted to victimise her to get at her elusive husband, Cde Simon Muzenda.
Cde Rwodzi remained steadfast after independence holding various portfolios among them chairmanship and councillorship of Sabuyatonga District from 1984 where he worked closely with Cde Fredrick Shava and the late Cde Hlomai Mangwende for the development of the entire district and province.
He was part of the Midlands provincial leadership from 1985 working closely with the likes of Cde Cephas Msipa to empower local communities.
Cde Rwodzi became a Zanu-PF Central Committee member in 1986, distinguishing himself as an organiser, and mentor.
He was among the agitators of the land redistribution programme, travelling the length and breadth of the province spearheading the “land first” campaign.
He became a National Consultative Assembly member from 2008, his constant refrain being aversion to all forms of neo-colonialism.
His favourite line was “once bought, remain bought. If your heart was Zanu PF, you are Zanu PF, anything else in political philosophy is retrogression, cowardice and a lack of identity”.
Cde Rwodzi remained a man of the people, soft-spoken but with a hard talk, humble and very gentle.
He loved his country and he liked being Zimbabwean.
A true Zimbabwean and cultural stickler, Cde Rwodzi walked, talked and lived development.
Though its said no man is perfect, Cde Rwodzi – to the best of my knowledge, lived a life above reproach.
He touched many hearts.
Always smartly dressed, he was quite a socialite.
Smart in approach and clean in appearance.
Cde Rwodzi had a sharp mind and loved to plan ahead and appreciated being a pioneer in business development.
“Sam Levy Village and others are copycats my assinuation and massive brainstorming’’, he would quip.
Cde Rwodzi is survived by his wife Ottilia and three sons George Stephen, Aaron Chenjerai and Christopher Mutonhozi; and one daughter Juliet, 19 grand children and one great grand daughter.
Working History
1954 – 1968: Sterling Drugs International.
He worked as a sales representative and moved to international merchandiser.
He later became a sales manager covering southern Africa and then a sales executive.
1968-1982: Kaufmann & Sons.
He worked as a sales consultant and a sales executive covering the southern African Region.
1975-2008: Proprietor and Chief Executive Officer of Mushaike stores.
2008 – 2012: Proprietor and managing director of Mushaike Holdings.
1975 – 2012 Managing Director Mushaike Store.
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