Tekere May Receive National Hero Status

8 June 2011

ZANU-PF Manicaland Province has requested the Politburo to confer national hero status on veteran nationalist, Cde Edgar Zivanai Tekere, and a decision on the request is expected today.

Party secretary for administration Cde Didy-mus Mutasa last night confirmed the decision will be announced today.

Cde Tekere – who was one of the founders of Zanu-PF and former secretary-general – succumbed to prostate cancer in Mutare on Tuesday.

Yesterday, we erroneously reported that Cde Tekere was a member of the Zanla High Command, Dare ReChimurenga.

The error is regretted.

The nationalist’s family yesterday said it has alternative burial arrangements should the re-quest be turned down.

Said Cde Mutasa: “A formal announcement (on the hero status request) will be made tomorrow (today) around 11am.

“Today (yesterday) we have been deliberating on the recommendations of the province that he be declared a national hero and the outcome of the deliberations is what is going to be announced tomorrow.”

Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairman Cde Mike Madiro said the province felt Cde Tekere should be declared a national hero.

“We have since written to the Politburo to accord him national hero status. Two-Boy was one of us in the party, as he died an ordinary card-carrying member.

“In his own utterances, he used to say he was more Zanu-PF than most of us and it is surprising that some people are trying to gain political mile-age through his death.

“Even sellouts and surrogates of the West now want to be associated with a veteran nationalist like Cde Tekere.

“What we know is that he died when he had returned to his original home, Zanu-PF. He never lost his patriotism and he was a free man who would speak his mind. As a province, we feel that we are now one man short,” said Cde Madiro.

“If you can imagine that at one time Cde Tekere was our secretary-general, but he died an ordinary card carrying member, which shows his humbleness. He never drifted from his principles,” he said.

Family spokesman, Mr Steven Kada, said they were humbled by the condolences they were receiving.

“As a family we are still waiting for the decision from Harare, as you know that our relative was a national figure. We are still putting all the pieces together and if we fail to get satisfactory feedback from Harare we already have a Plan B and we will announce everything in due course.

“Everyone who is phoning us is speaking highly of late Cde Tekere.

“We are receiving condolences from politicians, church people and ordinary people, which shows that Cde Tekere was good at associating with anyone,” said Mr Kada.

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