peterSimba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
ZAPU national chairperson and businessman Mark Nzula Mbayiwa has died.
He was 66 years old. According to a statement issued by the party, Mbayiwa who was the party’s national chairperson and also its acting treasurer-general collapsed at his home in Morningside in Bulawayo at around 10pm on Friday night.
“It is with a deep sense of sorrow that we learnt of the passing of our party chairperson Cde Mark Nzula Mbayiwa last night. As a party, we are still in shock at his sudden demise since Cde Mbayiwa attended all party related activities yesterday including an evening presidency meeting,” said Zapu secretary-general, Mthulisi Hanana in the statement.
Mbayiwa is a veteran of the liberation struggle having joined politics as a Zapu youth coordinator in 1973. In September 1975 Mbayiwa was arrested for political activism and in October 1976 he and 15 others, crossed to Zambia to join the armed struggle.
In Zambia he met Cde Nikita Mangena and after being involved in the electrification of Freedom Camp, he went for military training in Angola under the Cubans and Russians. He later came back to Zambia to work at the ZPRA Headquarters in Kasupe where he was in charge of all communications equipment.
By 1980 at independence, he had been deployed to all fronts. After independence, Mbayiwa continued with communication and was in charge of the same at Esigodini, Gwayi River Mine and Entumbane Assembly points before joining the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. He received the five, 10 and 15-year service medals from the army. Mbayiwa is also a recipient of the Liberation Silver Medal, Mozambican Campaign Medal and the DRC Campaign Medal.
He was commissioned as Captain Regimental Signals Officer and rose through the ranks and retired as a Colonel. Upon retirement, Mbayiwa worked as a branch manager at Amtech and later established his own business trading as Maclyn Spares. In 2008, he stood as an independent candidate in Umguza Constituency.
Mbayiwa is survived by a wife and four children. — @RealSimbaJemwa
Temba Dube