happiness Chikwanha
The Bereaved Chirinda Family and Amai Chirinda; First Lady, Amai A. Mnangagwa; Vice President and Second Secretary of ZANU PF, Hon. Gen. (Rtd) Dr C. G. D. N. Chiwenga; Vice President and Second Secretary of ZANU PF, Hon. Col. (Rtd) K. C. D. Mohadi; Chairman of ZANU PF and Minister of Defence, Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri-Kashiri; Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Harare Metropolitan Province, Hon C. Z. Tawengwa; Other Honourable Ministers here present; Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Adv. J. F. N. Mudenda; President of the Senate, Hon. Amai M. M. Chinomona; Chief Justice, Hon L. Malaba; President of the National Chiefs Council, Hon. Sen. M. Khumalo; Politburo and Central Committee Members; Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr. M. Rushwaya; Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Dr. V. Hungwe; Commander, Zimbabwe Defence Forces; General P. V. Sibanda; Service Chiefs; Your Excellences, Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Mayor of the City of Harare, His Worship Cllr. J. Mafume; Veterans of the Liberation Struggle; Senior Government Officials; Fellow Mourners; Comrades and Friends.
It is with a deep sense of sorrow that we gather here at the National Heroes Shrine to honour and inter a stalwart and decorated cadre of the Liberation Struggle, the late Comrade Jaison William Chirinda, whose Chimurenga name was “Cde Chezhira Chakaipa”. He passed on at the CDM Diabetic Centre, here in Harare on 27 October 2024 after battling with diabetes. A pioneering veteran of our struggle for independence, the late National Hero, Cde Chirinda was amongst the two groups involved in the Battle of Sinoia, now Chinhoyi, against the settler Smith Regime. His quest to see a free and independent Zimbabwe resulted in his arrest by the Rhodesian Forces and sentenced to death.
The penalty was later commuted to life in prison. I personally served with him in prison, with both of us waiting to be executed for carrying out guerrilla attacks in the country. In the late National Hero, we have lost a loyal, persistent, consistent, brave and disciplined veteran freedom fighter, who sacrificed his youth for the liberation of our motherland, Zimbabwe. His character and personality were an embodiment of humility, sacrifice, patriotism, discipline and selfless leadership.
He stands among the luminaries of this great land, from whom the young generation must emulate his character traits. On behalf of the Nation, the Government of Zimbabwe, our revolutionary mass Party, ZANU PF, my family and indeed on my own behalf, I once again express my deep and heartfelt condolences to the Chirinda Family over this loss. Our prayers and sympathies are with you during this trying and difficult period. Fellow Mourners; The late National Hero, Cde Jaison William Chirinda was born on 1 September 1942 in Gora, Madziva area in Mashonaland Central Province. He did his primary education at Madziva Gora Primary School and later proceeded to Zambia where he enrolled for secondary education at Chifubu Secondary School in Ndola.
Conscious of how blacks were being brutalized, dispossessed of their land and impoverished by the racist white settler colonial regime, Cde Chirinda joined the Liberation Struggle in 1965. He was moved to Tanzania for military training at the Three Leaves Brigade. On completion of initial military training, he was sent to China for further training. When the late National Hero, Cde Chirinda returned from the People’s Republic of China, he was assigned, together with other cadres, to undertake critical missions which marked key milestones in the initial offensive military operations against the Rhodesian Forces. In the famous Battle of Sinoia, our National Hero, led one of the groups that included our late ZANLA Commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara, whilst the second one was led by Cde Chatambudza whose members became the legendary “Chinhoyi Seven” heroes after they perished in the encounter with enemy forces.
The pioneering Chinhoyi Battle was one of the strategic and revolutionary masterstrokes, which signalled to the world that Zimbabweans had the resolve to execute an armed struggle for freedom, independence, sovereignty and democracy. This further galvanised the nation for a gruelling sacrifice that would yield independence, albeit 14 years later. After these events, more young Zimbabwean girls and boys left the country to join the liberation struggle. Memories of the selfless sacrifice made by many freedom fighters and civilians who suffered at the hands of the white settler regime, remain etched in our national memory. Their bravery and determination serve as inspiration that continues to emboldens us as we defend and safeguard our country from external interference. Taking a leaf from the heroes of yester-year, the duty is ours, the people of Zimbabwe, across all provinces and districts, to remain united, loyal and patriotic to our country.
so that we protect our independence and build our country for a better quality of life for all. Comrades and Fellow Mourners; The incarceration and detention of Zimbabweans for the quest of independence and self-determination was a brutal instrument unleashed by the colonial administration as a way to dampen our revolution. However, that was never to be, we persevered, until our goal was achieved. In prison the late National Hero, Cde Chirinda and myself served with other cadres that included Comrades Victor Mlambo, Lloyd Gunda, William Ndangana, Herbert Samba, Dzangasi Dube and Benjamin Mahaka, among others. We were subjected to harrowing, inhumane and dehumanising treatment for daring the colonial system. The late National Hero, Cde Chirinda was later transferred to Khami Maximum Prison in Bulawayo.
He was released from prison following the attainment of Independence in 1980. Thereafter, he joined the Zimbabwe Republic Police and subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Information and Publicity. He also served under the National Railways of Zimbabwe. At the time of his death, he was a farmer in Mashonaland Central Province. The exemplary life of the late National Hero, Comrade Chirinda demands each of us to introspect and ask ourselves what we can do to make our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe, more prosperous. Fellow Mourners; The colonial system was a scourge imposed on our nation by the British monarch and government, designed to dispossess us of our land and resources for their selfish benefit. Beginning in 1893, the racist colonial regime started grabbing land, livestock and mineral resources, condemning our people to arid, and infertile parts of the country.
This was enabled through pieces of unjust legislation such as the Land Apportionment Act of 1930 and the Native Land Husbandry Act, among others. The settlers tormented our leadership, including King Lobengula, who was forced into exile albeit after a heroic battlefield encounter with the settler army led by British Army Captain Alan Wilson, whilst Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi were executed by hanging for resisting colonial rule. Equally, the remains of our brave warriors such as Chief Chiwashira, Chief Chingaira, Chief Mapondera and Chief Mashayamombe are still held in British museums as trophies, after they were captured and killed in horrific circumstances. We remind the British Government and people that the spirits of our heroes will not rest until their remains are repatriated and interred in a dignified way. Going forward, we urge the British Government to return the remains of our people to Zimbabwe.
Last week I was privileged to launch a study initiated by the Zimbabwe National Elders Forum titled: “Land Displacements: The untold Stories of Crimes, injustices, trauma and losses experienced by indigenous Zimbabweans during the colonial era (1890 to 1980), a case for reparations”. I applaud our Elders for this great initiative that will document the suppressed and untold story of the injustices, trauma and loss of lives as well as livelihoods suffered at the hands of the British Government and its settlers. We demand an apology and reparations from the British Government. The Second Republic is forthright in accommodating compensation of white former farmers in respect of improvements they made on the land redistributed by the State. We call upon the British Government, whose predecessor governments were responsible for pillaging and brutalising us, to take responsibility and not remain indifferent to the cries of Zimbabweans for justice.
Despite challenges and shocks such as climate change and the global economic down-turn, the Second Republic continues to rebuild, modernise and industrialise our nation. The plunder and strangulation, which we continue to be subjected to under the illegal sanctions, will never deter us. It is pleasing that the distribution of inputs for the 2024/2025 summer cropping season has begun, coinciding with the rains received in some parts of our country. The season presents us all, household by household, village by village and ward by ward, with the opportunity to rally all our efforts to till our God given land as we secure household and national food security. To date, a new record on the winter wheat production is on target. The forecasted harvest underscores the resurgence of our agriculture sector, as we sustain our mark as a wheat self-sufficient nation.
Meanwhile, Government will continue to implement measures that will continue to stabilise our currency and economy, as well as accelerate the completion of major infrastructure projects to improve our transport system, energy and water harvesting capacity. Comrades; Today we honour a national hero, “Cde Chezhira” who chose to take up the fight for independence even against what seemed to be a superior enemy. In this development stage of our country, we need more young boys and girls, men and women, who have the same tenacity to push the national vision forward. May the interment of one of the pioneering veterans of the struggle, inspire and help to birth heroes of the next generation. Be it in science, education, the economy, social services, health, engineering, infrastructure or sports, arts and culture; wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you can impact the prosperity of our country.
We must never despise who we are as a people, or look down on ourselves, or conform to the negative narratives about us being peddled by detractors. We, Zimbabweans are a proud, resilient, courageous, humble, and hardworking people; a united, peace-loving and harmonious country. No amount of lies and falsehood will never erase this. The life-histories of our heroines and heroes such as our departed national hero Cde William Jaison Chirinda remind us to stand resolutely firm in defending Zimbabwe. The indelible memories of Cde Chiridza, a humble but courageous and brave cadre who cherished hard work, discipline and loyally served our country will forever be honoured and revered. Alongside many others, he took an unenvied decision, to confront the white colonial regime at a time least expected. To our dearly departed hero, I say to you my dear comrade and pioneering veteran of the liberation struggle, “Cde Chezhira Chakaipa”; ‘Go well Son of the Soil, Go well our distinguished stalwart.’ Zororai murugare Gamba remaGamba, Lala ngokhutula Qhawe lamaQhawe. May your Soul rest in Eternal Peace. God bless you all. God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you.
Online Reporter