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Mashudu Netsianda/Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporters
NATIONAL hero Cde Stanley Nleya influenced many young people in Masendu Village to join the liberation struggle in the early 1970s.

Cde Nleya is said to be one of the people from the community to join the liberation struggle from Masendu in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South.

The community says he is also the first to be declared a national hero.

This emerged yesterday following the arrival of the national hero Cde Nleya’s body at his rural home where the community paid last respects.

A church service for the national hero was conducted at Doves Funeral Parlour in Bulawayo yesterday afternoon before the body was taken to the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) One Brigade Barracks. It was subsequently flown to his rural home in Masendu in Bulilima District and was seen off by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube, service chiefs and relatives.

Family spokesperson Mr Tshaka Nleya said they are being guided by Government dictates of how national heroes are buried.

He said the body will leave Masendu for Bulawayo this morning and a memorial service will be held today at White City at 9am before it is flown to Harare at 1pm.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic only invited guests will attend the burial which will be covered live by the ZBC tv.

Cde Nleya (72) will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare tomorrow.

The body arrived in Masendu Village aboard a Zimbabwe National Army helicopter shortly after 3PM, causing a spectacle.

Scores of villagers including children gathered where the helicopter landed, to observe the rare occasion.

The body was transported to the homestead using a Doves Funeral Service hearse.

His body would lie in state and an overnight vigil in line with the Kalanga culture started just before 6PM.

The process included visiting the graveside where traditional leaders spoke to their ancestors informing them about Cde Nleya’s death. They also stated that he will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre.

The elders in their prayers requested for travel mercies until he is buried at the national shrine.

Cde Nleya, whose pseudonym is Elish Gagisa died at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) last week on Tuesday due to heart disease.

He was declared a national hero on Friday due to his unquestionable contributions to the liberation of the country.

Cde Nleya was one of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army commanders, training some distinguished fighters and fine soldiers including the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Phillip Valerio Sibanda.

Government officials led by the Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Abednego Ncube were also on the ground to receive the body.

Masendu central senior village head Mr Sam Ndlovu said Cde Nleya deserved to be declared a national hero as he influenced a lot of young people in the community to join the war.

“When he joined the liberation struggle in 1968, news spread across the village that he had joined the war. It was him and the late Cornelius Dube whose pseudonym was Alfred Mlilo who joined the war from our community. As young people, their participation in the liberation struggle influenced us a lot to join the war as well. Some of us got lucky that when we joined the war, he also trained us. Myself in particular, I had known him before joining the war as we are related. Even during the war, he was very intelligent,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said when news broke that Cde Nleya had died, he was devastated but later consoled by the fact that he was declared a national hero. Mr Ndlovu said it was the first time for Masendu community to have someone declared a national hero.

“This puts our community on the map. We have always heard of national heroes being declared but none of them have emerged from our village. We all are aware of Cde Nleya’s contributions and we feel this is a befitting honour to him. His contributions to the liberation of the country are too significant to ignore,” he said.

Chief Masendu, who was represented said, the village has been honoured through the declaration of Cde Nleya as a national hero.

He hailed Government for recognising Cde Nleya saying this should encourage other villagers.

Family representative and Cde Nleya’s cousin Mr Uyapo Sibanda, commended Government for declaring him a national hero.

He said while his contributions are prominent nationally, at family level he was a mystery.

“We want to thank Government and President Mnangagwa for declaring my brother a national hero. Some of us lost him in 1968 when he joined the liberation war.

“We didn’t know much about him when he joined the liberation struggle. We reunited in 1980 but we no longer had that close relationship. We also want to know the kind of man he was. I hope his biography will be told as we also want to know more about him,” said Mr Sibanda.

Minister Ncube said it was not by chance that Cde Nleya was declared a national hero.

He said Cde Nleya will join leaders including Vice Presidents Joshua Nkomo and Simon Muzenda at the national shrine, something which is not a mean achievement for a freedom fighter.

“As a province we are also honoured that one of our own has been declared a national hero. We thank President Mnangagwa for recognising Cde Nleya’s contributions. As Government we mourn with the Nleya family for the death of your relative. Your loss is our loss but may the family be consoled by the fact death comes to all of us. We just have to accept when it comes to our door step,” he said. — @mashnets — @nqotshili