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Fungi Kwaramba
Political Editor
WHEN Zanu founding father, the late Cde Ndabaningi Sithole died in November 2000, frantic efforts to have him declared a national hero hit a brickwall as the First Republic flatly refused to grant him the highest honour, however, President Mnangagwa, then a minister, promised to relook at the matter at the right time.
Now, 22 years later, the late nationalist has been granted posthumous national hero status by the Second Republic, which is determined to confront and correct the past.
One man who was always close to the late Cde Sithole is Cde Wilson Khumbula, who has now been appointed to the Zanu PF Central Committee.
In an interview, Cde Khumbula described how he, the Sithole family and church impressed on the First Republic to have his political godfather declared a national hero, but without success. However, one man listened to the Sithole family, their intonations, and promised that one day, at the right time, history would rightfully honour its heroes.
“I am overwhelmed with emotion that the Reverend has been declared a national. Following his death three people were asked to request for his hero status, but that was denied. The records are there at the Zanu PF headquarters and I represented the party as the acting president, we wrote to the party to have Rev Sithole declared a national hero but that failed to come through”.
Even the Sithole family, that had been orphaned as their father went to join the liberation struggle, tried to coax the powers that were to have the Rev accorded the honour befitting his status as a leading light during the liberation struggle, again that came to naught.
“The brother of the late Rev Sithole also wrote another letter asking the party to consider the late as a national hero. The church also wrote another letter, but all the three requests were turned down,” said Cde Khumbula.
However, one man was prepared to listen, probably because when he went overseas for military training during the liberation struggle he had been dispatched by Cde Sithole as Zanu president.
“Cde Mnangagwa knows Rev Sithole more than Cde Mugabe and Cde Mnangagwa is one of those first guerrillas to be taken to China by Cde Sithole when Zanu and ZAPU split, so Cde Mnangagwa was the right person to approach, however, he could not take a decision because he was still under somebody.
“I started to communicate with Cde Mnangagwa but he just said wait, the right time shall come so I knew that at the right he would do that,” said Cde Khumbula. Fast forward to this year Heroes’ Day commemorations, now the Zimbabwean leader, President Mnangagwa fulfilled his promise, not only to the Sithole family but also that of another veteran nationalist, who had also been overlooked under the First Republic, Cde James Chikerama
In his Heroes Day speech, the President said the Second Republic was committed to giving a holistic account of the country’s war of liberation, hence the honour to people like Cde Sithole and Cde Chikerema.
“We are therefore rising to the occasion and recognising other heroes and heroines such as the late Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and the late comrade James Chikerema for their historical contributions, despite their areas of weaknesses, with regards to the observance of the correct line of the revolution.
“For that reason, we now honour them among the list of our national heroes and heroines. We forever remain indebted to all the heroes and heroines of our great country for freedom, democracy and independence.”
For Cde Khumbula, when he heard that his hero had received the highest honour from the highest office, he was overwhelmed, with a mixture of emotions, stirred by nostalgia and patriotism.
Now part of the ruling party’s highest decision making body, the Central Committee, Cde Khumbula says Zanu Ndonga has been buried, he has a word too for the opposition parties.
“There were people who were aggrieved by what the First Republic did in the past, for instance in Chipinge Zanu Ndonga was popular and opposition parties were getting votes in protest against the decision that was made against the status of Sithole, each time we went for an election people would boycott and some were taken by other parties but now we have been softened we are now appealing to everyone to come aboard because we now have been accepted,” he said.
This is embodied in President Mnangagwa’s philosophy of development that leaves no one and no place behind.
“Cde Mnangagwa is a pragmatic person, what he says is what he does, Cde Sithole has been honoured and I have been brought up again. People who were working in Zanu Ndonga are now back into the same old party and you can see Zapu is there, while some organisations that oppose have been accommodated through Polad. Those that want to see the country moving forward and developing are joining hands with the President who is wise.”
Online Reporter