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Magura Charumbira

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
ZANU-PF has declared the party’s Bulawayo central district chairperson Cde Magura Charumbira who died in a car accident on Monday a liberation hero.

Cde Charumbira (34) who died on the spot after a Mercedes Benz he was travelling in rammed into a stationary haulage truck in Norton on his way to Harare, will be buried on Sunday at his rural home near Nyika Growth Point in Bikita District, Masvingo province.

Zanu-PF Bulawayo Youth League provincial chairperson Cde Khumbulani Mpofu said Wednesday’s Politburo meeting declared him a liberation hero.
The decision to accord him liberation hero status will see the State taking charge of burial arrangements.

“He has been accorded a liberation hero status for Bulawayo province as per our request as a province. We want to commend the Politburo for accepting our request. We believe they also saw it fit that he be honoured for his efforts,” said Cde Mpofu.

He said the party in consultation with his family resolved that he be buried at his rural home.

“His body will arrive in Bulawayo tomorrow where it will lie in state at the provincial offices at Davies Hall. His body will then be ferried to his rural home Nyika, in Masvingo on Saturday where he will be laid to rest on Sunday,” he said.

Bulawayo province had requested that Cde Charumbira be accorded liberation hero status for standing against G40 members who were bullying other party members.

The party’s Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Christopher Sibanda said age is not a matter when it comes to according one a hero status.

“Age is not a matter, we only considered his works as a party at provincial level. This is what led to us applying for a liberation hero status for him. He is a liberation hero unlike war veterans who are liberation war heroes because he never went to war,” said Cde Sibanda.

Cde Charumbira shot to fame last year in November when he led a group of Zanu-PF youths who heckled former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe at a rally in Bulawayo.

Cde Charumbira was thrown out of the interface rally at White City Stadium when he booed Mrs Mugabe as she was addressing the crowd.

He went into hiding for a few days before handing himself over to police.

The State later withdrew charges in court.

In May last year, Cde Charumbira was stabbed in the head following violent clashes at the Zanu-PF offices in Bulawayo.

Following the clashes, he was expelled from the party only to bounce back after last November’s Zanu-PF Extraordinary Central Committee meeting which resolved that all party members who were fired unprocedurally by the G40 cabal should be re-admitted. – @nqotshili.