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Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
ZANU-PF Central Committee Member and Tsholotsho Rural District Chairperson Cde Alois Ndebele has died.
He was 56.
A war veteran, Cde Ndebele died at his homestead in Chefunye, Tsholotsho on Thursday after an illness.
He is expected to be be buried on Tuesday next week at his home.
Tsholotsho South MP, Cde Zenzo Sibanda (Zanu-PF), said Cde Ndebele’s death was a great loss to his family, the people of Tsholotsho and Matabeleland North as a whole.
“He had been in and out of hospital. He did a lot for the community and the district and I’m sure he will be greatly missed.
“Cde Ndebele was a brother, friend and an advisor to me. He is a man that is irreplaceable and his leadership qualities are proven by his stay in power for this long. He served continuously as a central committee member, as a councillor and as council chair,” he said.
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Cain Mathema said the party and country had lost a revolutionary.
“We have lost a great man, a revolutionary who sacrificed his life in the liberation struggle. He also served in the army and after that he became a councillor and chairman of Tsholotsho RDC until his time of death.
“The man actually made a lot of sacrifices for other people and we sympathise with the family. I worked very well with this man in many developmental projects in the district and the community will miss him greatly,” said Minister Mathema.
He said there is no ward in Tsholotsho that has no clinic, all due to Cde Ndebele.
“He also worked hard to make sure all points in the district have electricity,” Min Mathema said.
Cde Ndebele joined Zapu Chefunye District in 1974 and was a secretary in the main wing.
He left the country in 1976 to join the liberation struggle in Zambia through Botswana and underwent military training in Angola in 1977.
After ceasefire, he went to Gwayi River Mine assembly point.
At independence, he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army as a non-commissioned officer and rose through the ranks to become a Warrant Officer Class One, a position he held until the time of his retirement in 1999.
From 1981 to 1984, Cde Ndebele was sent to Mozambique for military operations in that country.
In 1986, Cde Ndebele was part of the United Nations peace-keeping force in Somalia.
He also participated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo campaign in 1999 before retiring the same year.
In 2001, he was elected councillor for Ward 19 and also Chairman of Tsholotsho RDC, posts that he held until the time of his death.
Cde Ndebele is survived by his wife Sithandazile Dube and 13 children. Mourners are gathered at his home in Chefunye. — @winnie_masara
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