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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended his condolences to the Ndlovu family following the death of former Cabinet Minister and Bulawayo provincial chairman, Professor Callistus Dingiswayo Ndlovu.

Prof Ndlovu, 83, also a Zanu-PF Central Committee, member collapsed and died on Wednesday in South Africa, where he was being treated for pancreatic cancer.

The Zanu-PF Bulawayo province has requested that he be declared a national hero.

President Mnangagwa described Prof Ndlovu as a dedicated and humble cadre, who worked with unwavering commitment during and after the liberation struggle.

“I received the news of the death of our Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairman and former Cabinet Minister, Prof Ndlovu on Wednesday afternoon, with disbelief and complete shock. While we knew he had been unwell for some time, his passing on in South Africa yesterday came as a surprise.

“A veteran politician of our national liberation struggle, the late Prof Ndlovu served his country with distinction and unwavering commitment to its freedom and independence,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said Prof Ndlovu was a humble and approachable person who abhorred tribalism and regionalism, while championing peace and unity.

“With his death, both the ruling party and the country at large, have lost a principled and disciplined cadre who was always prepared to sacrifice for the greater good of our people,” said President Mnangagwa.

He added: “On behalf of Zanu-PF, Government, family and indeed on my behalf, I extend my sincere and heartfelt condolences to Professor Ndlovu’s wife and children. May they derive comfort from the knowledge that we share in their deep grief and great loss.”

Zanu-PF national spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo described the late Prof Ndlovu as a distinguished diplomat, who played a crucial role during and after the liberation struggle both in Government and the party.

“The unfortunate demise of Prof Ndlovu has been received with utter dismay by the party he loved so much. Zanu-PF ably led by his Excellency President Mnangagwa, its entire leadership and membership is bewildered by this sad development.

“The late Prof Ndlovu was an accomplished educationist, a mentor of impressive intellectual skills, a distinguished diplomat during the days of our liberation struggle, a personality of conviction and purpose,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

He said Prof Ndlovu’s accolades were not misplaced, adding that those who knew him well could testify.

“He has left a legacy of service to his party and country. We’ll miss him greatly. In wishing his family strength, may his soul anchor and rest in eternal peace,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

Bulawayo Zanu-PF provincial secretary for administration and Central Committee member Cde Elifasi Mashaba yesterday said details on the repatriation of Prof Ndlovu’s body and funeral arrangements would be availed today.

Prof Ndlovu was born on February 9 in 1936 in Plumtree, where he did his primary and secondary education before training as a teacher and enrolling for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Pius XII University College in Lesotho.

He joined the National Democratic Party in 1960.

He became involved with Zapu in 1963 when he was a student in Lesotho, where he was chairman of the Zapu branch of students and residents in Lesotho.

At the university, Prof Ndlovu was also president of the Student Representative Council (SRC) from 1963 to 1964.

He was also publicity secretary of the National Union of Basutoland Students (NUBS) from 1964 to 1965.

On completing his degree he came to Bulawayo and taught from 1959 to 1961 at Empandeni High School before moving to Mafakela Government School in 1962. From 1966 to 1967, he taught at Mpopoma High School.

As a teacher, he was detained in 1966 by the Rhodesian regime which felt that his influence among African teachers was not good for the regime.

He was detained at Khami Prison in 1966 for promoting the objectives of the Zapu guerrillas and was released after 90 days. He left the country in 1967 for New York University where he did his Masters and PhD studies.

During the course of his studies at New York University, Prof Ndlovu became very much involved with Zapu, and became the party’s chairman in North America from 1967 to 1971.

He set up an office near the United Nations.

This was quite an important office for Zapu because the party co-ordinated most of its external relations outside Africa and the office in London, United Kingdom depended on information from his office.

From 1971 to 1980 he was a member of the Revolutionary Council and represented the party at the United Nations and North America.

Prof Ndlovu also attended the Geneva talks as a political advisor in the Zapu delegation in 1976 as well as the Lancaster House Talks on Zimbabwe for the Zapu delegation.

In 2000, Prof Ndlovu was a member of the Constitutional Commission of Zimbabwe.

After independence, Prof Ndlovu was a Central Committee member from 1980 to 1983 and the Bulawayo provincial chairman of the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) from 1984 to 1987.

He was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1985 and a Member of the Senate from 1985 to 1990.

He worked as a director at Carbin Finance and the Group industrial relations manager at Union Carbide Corporation in the early 80s.

In 1990 he was an executive consultant with the Treger Group of Companies and a member of the Joint Private Sector Standing Committee to promote trade between Zimbabwe and Botswana and also worked as the chief executive officer at Calding Consultants (Pvt) Limited in 1991.

He was appointed the Minister of Construction between 1982 and 1983 before he was appointed the Minister of Mines from 1983 to 1984.

Between 1984 and 1989 he was the Minister of Industry and Commerce.

He studied at the University of South Africa, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1965 majoring in History, Economics and Political Science.

Four years later, he completed his MA and PhD after another four years at the New York University in the United States.

He once lectured at the Hofstra University in Long Islands in New York.

Prof Ndlovu also worked for the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (Zipam) for several years.

He was once chairman of the Board of Directors at NetOne and chairman of the Foundation Task Force of the Gwanda State University.

Prof Ndlovu received a number of honours, which include an award for distinguished teaching in America 1973 and fellow of the Aggrey Fellowship of the Edward Hazen Foundation at New York Foundation.

He was also granted Freedom of the City of Minneapolis in 1972.

At the time of his death, Prof Ndlovu was a member of the Zanu-PF Central Committee and Bulawayo provincial chairman.

Prof Ndlovu is survived by wife Angeline, five children and seven grandchildren.

Mourners are gathered at 3 Fletcher Road, Kumalo in Bulawayo. — @pamelashumba1