malvernmugadzikwa
Richard Muponde
NATIONAL hero Colonel Kenny Ridzai Mabuya (Retired) was a pioneering stalwart of the liberation struggle who worked hard in the security sector to safeguard Zimbabwe’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
This was said by ZANU PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa yesterday during a press conference held at the ruling party’s headquarters in Harare.
Col Mabuya, whose Chimurenga name was Kenny Ridzai, died at West End Hospital in Harare on Tuesday after a short illness.
He was 72.
Amb Mutsvangwa said the party was grateful to President Mnangagwa for conferring him national hero status.
“He is a pioneer of the liberation struggle, having gone to war at the age of 15.
“He is a person who worked with President Mnangagwa to set up the security system in the country. He also was one of the people who established the training corps in the country.
“This meant that we no longer relied on outside training mostly from China and other friendly countries,” said Amb Mutsvangwa.
“When I arrived at Tembwe, he was there and many cadres were fascinated to see a Ndebele-speaking person at the front, which encouraged the cadres, as they saw that ZANLA was an inclusive army. This gave confidence to many, like myself, as I was also accompanied by another Ndebele-speaking cadre.”
Meanwhile, the Government will meet with the Mabuya family today to decide on the national hero’s burial date.
In an interview, his son, Mr Kelvin Mabuya, said: “So far we don’t have an official arrangement for the burial date. However, we were visited by the Minister of Defence, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, with a request from the Government side for us to consider burying our father on Wednesday.”
The family, he said, was going to convene a meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage today to agree on the official arrangements. “We are still to come up with a date. Tomorrow (today), we are going to meet officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to map the way forward.
“However, provisionally, the date which has been thrown around is Wednesday.”
Col Mabuya was accorded national hero status in recognition of his outstanding contribution during the liberation struggle.
Born on January 12, 1952 in Filabusi district, Matabeleland South province, Col Mabuya was the second-born in a family of five, comprising two boys and three girls.
Sometime in 1954, the family relocated to Zambia, where he did his primary and secondary education up to Form 2 at Kamwala in Lusaka.
Col Mabuya and his brother became politically conscious, but while he wanted his younger brother to complete school, he, however, joined ZAPU’s military wing, ZIPRA.
He decided to join the ZANU military wing as a way of avoiding his brother in ZIPRA.
He later left Lusaka for Itumbi Training Camp in Tanzania for training, together with other recruits.
They commenced training in December 1969, with initial military training coming in January 1970 under the tutorship of Cde Chimedza and some Chinese military instructors.
Cde Kenny Ridzai belonged to a crop of military strategists whose training centred mostly on mass mobilisation tactics, which were critical for full-scale guerrilla warfare.
After independence, he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army on May 5, 1981.
He rose through the ranks to become Lieutenant-Colonel and retired in June 1994.
Mourners are gathered at house number 6924, Davidson Park, Tynwald South, Harare.
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Online Reporter