LATEST: Cephas Msipa to be buried at National Heroes Acre Cephas George Msipa
Cephas George Msipa

Cephas George Msipa

Veteran nationalist and national hero Cde Cephas George Msipa, who died at a private hospital in Harare on Monday, will now be buried on Saturday at the National Heroes Acre, instead of Gweru Provincial Heroes Acre as initially indicated.The announcement was made by family spokesperson Mr Masimba Msipa last night.Cde Msipa, a former Zanu-PF Politburo member, succumbed to pneumonia.

He was 85.

Speaking after a church service at the Msipa residence in Borrowdale, Harare, last night, Mr Msipa said the decision was reached after considering logistical challenges and was arrived at in consultation with the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Earlier on, acting Zanu-PF secretary for Administration and political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, had said the Msipa family had indicated to the party that the veteran nationalist’s wishes were to be buried next to his wife in Gweru.

“The Government is here to announce the conferment of national hero status on the late Cde Cephas Msipa who passed on yesterday (Monday) morning. Cde Msipa has been recommended by the Midlands province to have the honour bestowed on him as a national hero and the Government, through His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Cde R. G Mugabe, has accepted,” he said.

However, Mr Msipa said: “Although the family would have wanted him to be buried in Gweru next to his wife, we have agreed that he will now be buried at the national shrine on Saturday.”

He said the new programme would now see Cde Msipa’s body being taken to 1 Commando on Thursday before being transported to Siboza in Zvishavane and then to Mandava Stadium the same day.

He said from Mandava Stadium, Cde Msipa’s body would be taken to the Msipa family home in Gweru, where it would lie in state overnight until Friday morning.Mr Msipa said the body was expected to leave Gweru for Harare around 3pm for burial at the national shrine on Saturday.

“We want to make it clear that we are not in conflict with the party and, we appreciate that VaMsipa was not only our father, but father to many. We have been working very well with the committee organising his funeral arrangements and we really appreciate that,” said Mr Msipa.

He said in making the decision, they considered the fact that since Cde Msipa was accorded national hero status, the committee that organised his burial arrangements was different from the one that arranged burials at provincial level, hence the decision to bury him in Gweru could have posed some logistical challenges.

“We also appreciate that Cde Msipa was not only our father, but a father to everyone,” he said.

Initially, the Msipa family had requested that the late hero be buried next to his wife Charlotte Sithabile Msipa, who died in 2013.

Cde Charlotte Msipa, who was conferred liberation war heroine status, was laid to rest at the Gweru Provincial Heroes’ Acre.Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko who also attended the church service yesterday described Cde Msipa as a selfless cadre who dedicated his life to the nation.He said the late national hero was a man who lived his life not only for the Msipa family, but for the entire nation.

Meanwhile, a sombre atmosphere engulfed the Midlands province and Gweru in particular following the death of Cde Msipa, affectionately known by many as CG or simply Governor.

Since the announcement of his death, people across the political divide and residents of Gweru have been flocking to his home at number 57 Kopje, Gweru East to pay their condolences to family and friends of the late politician.

Mourners said it was his generosity, humility and admirable values and principles that made him a darling of many people not only in the Midlands province but throughout the country.Cde Msipa was born in Zvishavane on July 7, 1931.He attended Siboza School and Dadaya Mission.

In the 1950s, he trained as a teacher and taught at various schools and also became a headmaster.He met Dr Joshua Nkomo in 1955 and started working for the African National Congress in 1957 by organising meetings for the movement while also working as an active member of the Rhodesian Africa Teachers Association.

Cde Msipa was elected to the Amaveni African Advisory Board in Kwekwe and he chaired it in 1957 and 1958. From 1960 and 1964, he became a colleague to President Mugabe who was also a teacher and was suspended from teaching for his active role in politics, before he was eventually banned from partaking in the profession in 1964.

He was detained at Gonakudzingwa and Harare prisons, but escaped in 1966. Cde Msipa completed a degree in Public Administration with UNISA while in detention. He also did a three-year course in public relations with the London Institute of Public Relations. After his release, Cde Msipa worked for companies such as Lobels where he was sacked for visiting Malawi as guest of then president Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

In 1975 he was elected Zapu National Secretary for Education and was a member of the party’s central committee. Working with the late Mr Herbert Munangatire, they formed a newspaper called Zimbabwe Times where he was the assistant editor and then editor of the paper between 1975 to 79. Cde Msipa was detained at Wha Wha prison in 1978, while the newspaper was banned. He remained in detention until 1979 and participated in the Lancaster House talks that ended the war, and led to the first democratic elections.

After Independence, between 1980 and 1982, Cde Msipa served in Government as Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport and Recreation and Deputy Minister of Manpower Planning. In 1982, he was appointed Minister of Water Resources and Development and in 1984 he was appointed Zapu Secretary General.

Between 1985 and 1995, Cde Msipa was deputy chairman of the Agricultural Marketing Authority before becoming chairman of the organisation.He was also appointed vice chairman then chairman of the Natural Resources Board and was the first chairman of ZimTrade.

Between 1995 and 2000, he was appointed Minister of State for State Enterprises and Indigenisation before his appointment as Midlands Governor in 2000.

In 2002, Cde Msipa was appointed patron of the Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Association and in 2005 he became Midlands Governor for the third term until he retired in 2008.

Cde Msipa is survived by eight children and several grandchildren.

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