What Cde Kanengoni fought for

Silas Admire Chikati
It is always sad to learn about a sudden death, something which surprises many relatives, friends and workmates alike.

We do not say God robs — but that He taketh what He brought to the world.
We can say life is a lease agreement between God and mankind. At some point, no matter how good or bad you were, the lease expires and with it life.
The death of Cde Alexander “Gora Zanda” Kanengoni last week left many of us who were so close to him and his everyday life shell-shocked.
A revolutionary par excellence and a book writer and journalist, here was a man who knew how to deploy his wit and wisdom to devastating effect when defending and advancing the interests of Zimbabwe, and when defining the social questions of the day.
I will not dwell much on his exploits during the armed struggle for liberation as several other of his colleagues have already done that.
Cde Gora was a very simple, accommodative and upright man. But his being accommodative did not mean he would shy away from speaking his mind.
It did not matter if it was something wrong in Zanu-PF or Government: he would say what he thought was right without being insulting or abusive.
It was many a time that I heard him say, “Cde, that’s not what we fought for.” Matters were that simple: did something promote or erode the national interest?
That was Cde Kanengoni for you.
You could not visit number 42 Selous Avenue in Harare, where The Patriot newspaper is based and where he was the Deputy Editor until the time of his death, without being greeted by the ever-smiling, observant and articulate Cde Gora.
Even if you were to get there towards his deadline and he was evidently busy, he would always find time to have a word with you and then even escort you out as you left.
More than once I used to say to him, “Mudhara, you are busy defending the gains of our Independence and talking about African pride, and yet your newspaper is called The Patriot but is based in a street named after one of the prime faces of white settler colonialism.”
He would respond, “Sure Cde, you are correct. This must be rectified quickly. We will keep pushing.”
Unfortunately, you departed before you saw that happening. But many of us will continue taking forward those salient aspects of African pride that you lived your life for.
My late wife used to call me during the main ZBC news at night when I was occupied elsewhere and tell me to switch on the television because this liberation war hero was on the screen articulating matters in a manner that only Cde Gora could.
And if you lost track of a war-time colleague, Cde Gora was the man to go to for an update. He kept in touch with anyone and everyone and took an interest in what his comrades were doing.
You were a mentor and a dear comrade.
You persuaded me, in the early 1980s, to take up journalism and I owe you for that. Sadly, it is not a debt I can ever repay except through living for my country as you did. I salute you Cde Gora. You are a true hero. May your soul rest in eternal peace.