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Herald Reporter
NATIONALIST and Zanu founder member Cde Washington Malianga (88), who died in Harare on Sunday, has been accorded a State assisted funeral and will be buried at Warren Hills Cemetery today. Zanu-PF secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo, announced the status bestowed on Cde Malianga in a statement yesterday.
“Cde Washington Malianga has been accorded a State assisted funeral,” said Cde Gumbo. “The date and place of burial will be announced by the family.”
Cde Morton Malianga brother to Washington yesterday said his brother would be buried at Warren Hills Cemetery this morning.
Cde Malianga died after a short illness in a room at his flat in Harare.
Cde Morton Malianga described Cde Washington’s death as a huge blow to the family since he was “a pillar of strength”.
“We did not apply for his national hero status, but his death is painful to the whole family,” he said.
“This comes at a time when he would give us ideas when there were problems in the family.
“In his lifetime, he did a lot to revive the political activities of the country.
“He did a lot as well when he was the secretary for political affairs of Community Workers Union in the 1950s, a time when political activities of the country were sliding downwards.”
Cde Malianga’s nephew Mr Kumbirai Malianga said the body would leave Cde Morton Malianga’s house in Greystone Park for burial this morning.
“His body will lie in state today (yesterday) before burial,” he said. “We received information that the Government will assist with a State funeral.”
Cde Malianga was a leading nationalist and founding member of the Revolutionary Council from its very inception.
He played a pivotal role during the formation of the Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (Zanla), the military wing of Zanu in which he was the Secretary of Publicity and Information.
Afterwards, he became a member of the Dare reChimurenga up to a point when he was constrained by health issues. Cde Malianga’s contribution to the liberation of Zimbabwe started around 1947, when he became a member of the Commercial and Allied Workers Union (CAWU) of which he was the first secretary general, and then became the chairman.
He was among the founding members of Zanu at its formation in August 1963, and was elected the party’s publicity secretary at the Gwelo Congress in May 1964.
When it became imminent that Zanu and the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC), which had replaced Zapu were going to be banned, Cde Malianga left the country and together with Cde Herbert Chitepo and others, served as members of the Zanu Revolutionary Council from 1964. He was to become a member of the Dare reChimurenga until he resigned from his post in 1973 due to ill health.
Cde Malianga, remained a bachelor and had a great passion for music. Mourners are gathered at 35 Stratford Drive, Greystone Park.
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