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Lloyd Gumbo, Harare Bureau
President Mugabe yesterday mourned national hero Cde Peter Chanetsa whom he described as a person whose strong character saw Mashonaland West province successfully implementing the land reform programme despite attempts by former white farmers to frustrate the exercise.

Cde Chanetsa who died in Harare on Monday and was declared a national hero on Thursday, was the Governor for Mashonaland West province during the time the fast track land reform programme was implemented.

In his condolence message yesterday, President Mugabe said Cde Chanetsa had remained committed to the values of the party since the days of the liberation struggle until his demise.

He said he learnt with grief and sorrow of Cde Chanetsa’s death.

“My association with the late departed dates back to the days of our war of national liberation when we worked closely with him in Tanzania, which is where he lived at the time,” said President Mugabe who is also the Zanu-PF First Secretary.

“A committed patriot, Cde Chanetsa would give his time and means to the struggle, helping especially with protocol work each time we visited that fraternal country.

“At Independence, it was only natural that I appointed him my first Chief of Protocol, in which capacity he excelled, laying an enduring foundation to Government protocol work as we have it today.”

President Mugabe said he later appointed Cde Chanetsa Governor for Mashonaland West province with his governorship spanning the critical phase of the fast track land reform programme.

“It needed a strong character in the mould of the late to break the stranglehold of belligerent white farmers, mostly of British stock, who were so heavily concentrated and invested in that province and who, through their worldwide tentacles as tobacco barons, were quite determined to hold on to the fertile land we needed for redistribution to our landless people.

“He met countless threats and resisted many blandishments. He remained a staunch member of the party right up to his last days. We will miss him sorely.

“On behalf of the party Zanu-PF, the Government, which he served so well, my family and on my own behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the Chanetsa family, especially to Mrs Chanetsa and children, on this their saddest loss.

“In these difficult circumstances, may they find some modicum of comfort in that Zimbabwe, the country he helped liberate and served so wholeheartedly, today mourns and honours him in this very special way. May his dear soul rest in eternal peace,” said President Mugabe.

Cde Chanetsa will be laid to rest at the National Heroes’ Acre today.

In his condolence messages, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Ignatius Chombo said: “Cde Chanetsa is someone I worked with for many years. Before both of us joined mainstream politics, we were members of Mashonaland West Development Committee, spearheading development programmes for the province.

“This was at a time when the late Cde Chivende and Cde Rukarwa were governors. He and the late Dr Swithun Mombeshora started the Biri Dam project that saw Chitomborwizi small scale farmers pay for bringing electricity to the area . . ., which is one of the major achievements of the area. Cde Chanetsa also worked with me and Cde Joseph Made during the early days of land reform.”

Cde Chombo said Cde Chanetsa was quite fearless and was determined to see black people become owners of arable land.

“The Nicolles had many farms in the province and were very arrogant, but Cde Chanetsa never hesitated. On party issues, Cde Chanetsa was fiercely loyal to the party and the President. He never wavered at all. We will greatly miss him.

“I say go well farmer and businessman. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Mash West is grateful to H.E the President Cde R G Mugabe for honouring Cde Chanetsa by bestowing upon him national hero status.”

In a statement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said the Deputy Minister, Cde Edgar Mbwembwe, the Secretary, Ambassador Joey  Bimha, and the entire staff in the ministry learnt with profound shock and sorrow of the untimely passing on of Cde Chanetsa.

“We wish to express our deep and heartfelt condolences to the late Peter Chanetsa’s family on this sad loss. The late Mr Chanetsa will always be remembered in the Ministry and in the nation as the first ever Chief of Protocol in independent Zimbabwe. (In those early years of Independence, the Office of the Chief of Protocol was an integral part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)

“In that capacity, he contributed, through the training of young officers under his supervision, to the development of diplomatic skills and knowledge to the then incipient diplomatic cadre in the Ministry. The Ministry joins the Chanetsa family and the whole family in mourning his departure. We pray that the Almighty gives Mrs Chanetsa and the entire family the strength to come to terms with the loss of their loved one. May his dear soul rest in eternal peace,” said Cde Mumbengegwi in the statement.