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Lloyd Gumbo Harare Bureau
WAR veteran and former Zanu-PF Member of Parliament, Cde Vivian Mwashita, has been declared a national heroine and will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre tomorrow alongside another heroine Cde Victoria Chitepo.

Both Cdes Mwashita and Chitepo died on Friday after succumbing to diabetes and falling in the bathroom respectively.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration and Home Affairs Minister Cde Ignatius Chombo announced the declaration of Cde Mwashita’s national heroine status at her funeral wake in New Cranborne, Harare, last night.

He was accompanied by service chiefs among them Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, General Constantine Chiwenga, Zimbabwe National Army Commander, Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda, Air Force of Zimbabwe commander, Air Marshal Perrence Shiri as well as Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi.

Also present were Zimbabwe Republic Police Deputy Commissioner-General Innocent Matibiri and Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees, permanent secretary, Brigadier General (retired) Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi and several other service chiefs.

Cde Chombo said the past week had been a difficult one for Zanu-PF following the deaths of Cdes Mwashita, Chitepo and Chinhamo Chinamano — son of the late national liberation war heroes, Cdes Josiah and Ruth Chinamano.

“On Friday after receiving news of the death of Cde Chitepo, we then received a letter from Cde Charles Tawenga advising us of the death of Cde Mwashita. On Saturday, we also received news that the last son of Cdes Josiah and Ruth Chinamano had been found dead in Highfield,” said Cde Chombo.

“We then asked war veterans who worked with Cde Mwashita during the liberation struggle, the likes of Cde Chiwenga, Cde Shiri, Cde Tapfumaneyi and Minister of Water, Cde Kashiri (Oppah Muchinguri) for a detailed history of her contribution.

“They put everything together starting from Rusape where she was born, then when she came here where she did her primary school before going to St Peter’s Kubatana in Highfield where she did her secondary education.

“They also wrote about how she went to the liberation struggle in 1975 where she was trained by such Cdes as Augustine Chihuri before she also became a trainer during the bombing of Nyadzonia.”

He said the Politburo was convinced that Cde Mwashita deserved to be interred at the national shrine.

“As the Politburo, we completed the consultations this afternoon as instructed by President Mugabe that we should consult all the members to ensure there was consensus.

“Politburo members concurred that she was a consistent cadre who was committed to the liberation of the country.

“She is someone who was consistent during the liberation struggle and remained so even after independence. Others were expelled while some were suspended from the party because they sold out but she remained consistent.

“We even checked her history during her tenure in the Central Intelligence Organisation for more than 10 years and when she became an MP. We found out that her history was that of a consistent cadre. So President Mugabe said she should be declared a national heroine,” said Cde Chombo drawing ululation from mourners who broke into song and dance.

He said the family had also agreed to have Cde Mwashita buried at the national shrine alongside Cde Chitepo tomorrow.

“It’s the first time that it’s happening that we’ve national heroines being interred at the national shrine at the same time,” said Cde Chombo.

Cde Mwashita, 58, joined the liberation struggle in 1975 and after training she was deployed in Rushinga where she operated until the end of the war.

At Independence, Cde Mwashita joined the Office of the President and later mainstream politics and became the Member of Parliament for Sunningdale and later Senator.

She leaves behind her husband, Peter Muchicho, three children and six grandchildren.

Cde Mwashita was born on September 26, 1958 at Rusape Hospital.

She attended her Grade 1-7 at Rukudzo Primary School in Kambuzuma, Harare before enrolling at St Peter’s Kubatana High School, in Highfield for Form 1-4.

The national heroine then crossed into Mozambique in April 1975. After the attainment of independence, Cde Mwashita first worked at the Zanu Headquarters before joining the Central Intelligence Organisation, where she served until 1992 when she retired and joined politics.

In 1995 she won the Harare South Constituency on a Zanu-PF ticket before becoming the Zanu-PF Senator for Mvurachena Constituency in Harare.