WATCH: Shurugwi remembers Leopold Takawira with music and dance

CHACHACHA Business Centre in Shurugwi District, Midlands Province, burst to life on Saturday night as thousands of people gathered to celebrate the legacy of the late national hero, Cde Leopold Takawira, through music and dance.

The late veteran nationalist was born in 1916 in Mvuma and died in prison in 1970 and was first buried in his rural home in Chirumanzu before reburial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on 11 August 1982.

He was among the first heroes of the liberation struggle to be interred at the national shrine.

The gala was punctuated by scintillating performances led by the country’s popular artistes who kept the large crowd asking for more for the whole night.

Favourite musicians took turns to entertain the gathering and these included sungura maestro Alick Macheso, Baba naMai Charamba, Poptain, Chief Hwenje, Jah Signal, Bana Des As Band from Democratic Republic of Congo, Jeys Marabini, Mzoe 7, among others.

The event was held under the theme: “Leaving no one and no place behind” and buttress the country revolutionary legacy of unity in development and inclusivity, which Cde Takawira, affectionately known as the “Lion of Chirumanzu”, and other cadres fought for.

Among the people who attended the musical gala were Zanu-PF party supporters who had earlier attended the Presidential Star Rally that was held at Tongogara Business Centre, which was addressed by President Mnangagwa.

After giving a scintillating performance, Baba Charamba said he was honoured to perform at the gala to honour the late nationalist.

“I am happy to be here to entertain the people who are celebrating the life of Cde Takawira. These are important heroes who played a huge role towards the liberation of the country,” he said.

Jeys Marabini said he could not be anywhere other than Chachacha to celebrate the life of Cde Takawira.

“We are here to commemorate, celebrate and remember the life of Cde Takawira. We are enjoying the independence as a country because of gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the country, ” he said.

Dilubenzi Mabanda from Bana Des As Band said they were highly honoured to participate at the musical gala.

“We are from DRC and what we know is that we are one with our fellow brothers and sisters from this beautiful country. We share a rich history and it is an honour to be invited and play at this musical gala,” he said.

Cde Takawira was educated at Kutama Mission and later went to Roma University in Lesotho. He started his revolutionary activities in Highfield, Harare where he was a school teacher at Chipembere Primary School.

Cde Takawira at that time organised teachers to reject and challenge the racially discriminatory practice of the white minority settler regime and later joined the National Democratic Party (NDP) to broaden his activities.

He quickly became leader and chief spokesman of the nationalist movement. Following the NDP Congress, he became its external representative, based in London.

It was in this capacity that he sent a cable back home denouncing and rejecting the 1961 constitutional conference results, which gave Africans 15 seats in a Parliament of 65 members.

Cde Takawira denounced the agreement as diabolical and disastrous to Zimbabwe. The 1961 constitution was later rejected by the leadership and membership of NDP.

After the ban of the NDP, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union was formed, and Cde Takawira was appointed secretary of external affairs again.

He became instrumental in building the foreign missions of the party and when Zapu was banned, Cde Takawira became instrumental in the formation of the Zimbabwe African National Union.

He became Zanu’s first vice-president and when the Zanu congress was held, he retained his position as vice-president of the party and worked energetically to establish and popularise the party.

Cde Takawira was arrested in Salisbury and detained at Whawha, Sikombela and Salisbury Central prisons, respectively.

While in prison, he continued his revolutionary activities, even at a time when his health was failing.

The white regime denied him permission to seek medical attention. On June 15, 1970 he collapsed and went into a coma and later died.

The post-mortem showed that he had been suffering from diabetes and the verdict of the court was that he had died of negligence. A number of songs have been composed in his honour, “Takawira mukono waidzvova” (loosely translated to mean Takawira was a roaring animal), and another that extols his virtues as the Lion of Chirumanzu.