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Patrick Chitumba/Chronicle Reporters in Harare
ZANU-PF Central Committee member Cde Kotsho Dube, who passed away on Monday, has been declared a national hero.
Announcing the national hero status bestowed on the war veteran yesterday, President Mugabe said Cde Dube would be buried on Sunday morning at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

The decision to declare Cde Dube a national hero was arrived at by the Politburo at its meeting on Tuesday following a request that was sent to it by the party’s Matabeleland South province.

“Indeed, only yesterday we bestowed national hero status on one of us who has served with us. We knew him in many ways. The ways; political, diplomatic, educational, etc – Kotsho Dube, we will be burying him on Sunday morning,” said the President.

Cde Dube becomes the sixth person to be declared a national hero this year following Cdes Nathan Shamuyarira, Harold Chirenda, Eliah Bandama, John Zingoni and Stanley Sakupwanya.

In his condolence message, Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo described the Cde Dube as a focused and true revolutionary.

“He was a man of incredible intellectual skills, an accomplished scholar and of pronounced liberation war credentials, the nation is at a loss at this moment,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Abedinico Ncube and his Bulawayo counterpart Cde Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo yesterday told mourners at the Dube family home in Bulawayo that the Politburo had unanimously agreed that he be declared a national hero.

Cde Ncube said they had been instructed by the President to visit the family and announce the Politburo decision.

“We’re here to relate a message from President Mugabe that the Politburo unanimously agreed to confer the late Cde Dube with national hero status and he will be buried at the national heroes acre on Sunday,” said Cde Ncube.He said President Mugabe had learnt of Dube’s passing on with deep sorrow and sadness.

Cde Ncube said the fact that Dube had been politically active from the 1950s had been noted by the Politburo.

He said Dube’s immense contribution to the country’s liberation struggle and peace after independence had also been noted.

“He was a member of the African National Congress, the National Democratic Party and Zapu in the 50s before going to America to attain his doctorate degree,” said  Cde Ncube.

“He came back and worked very hard for the decolonisation of the country joining others in Zambia where he worked as the secretary for publicity and information.”

Cde Ncube said Dube was also active when the Unity Accord was signed.

“He was there before and after the country attained independence,” he said.

Dube was once the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria.

Cde Ncube said after his ambassadorial appointments by President Mugabe, Dube came back and was still active in politics.

“He was a Central Committee member and worked for the NRZ and other appointments before he finally retired,” said  Cde Ncube.

He said Dube was a very humble person who never looked down upon anyone.

Cde Moyo said Dube’s works spoke for themselves.

“There was no need to convince anyone in coming up with the national hero status. His works spoke well for what he did for the country,” she said.

Cde Moyo said the government was going to take over funeral arrangements.

She said on Saturday, Dube’s body would be taken from Bulawayo to his rural home in Matobo before it is flown to Harare.

“So we’re going to work with the family so that we take the body to his rural home before taking it to Harare for burial on Sunday,” she said.

Dube’s widow, Agatha, thanked President Mugabe for his leadership.

“We’re very honoured and we thank the President for this,” she said.

Cde Dube died in his sleep at his home in Kumalo on Monday.

He was 79.

He is survived by his wife, three children and three grandchildren.

Cde Dube was born on June 25 1935 in Malindi Village, Matobo district.

From 1945 to 1951, he attended Zamanyoni Primary School up to Standard Five before proceeding to Mzingwane Secondary School for Standard Six.

From 1955 to 1956, he joined the Joint Matriculation Board for Universities of South Africa and Thekwani Secondary School.

Between 1961 and 1963, he was an Articled Law Clerk at Coghlan Welsh and Guest Attorneys.

He worked at the then Bank of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1963 to 1965.

From 1965 to 1972, Dube represented PF Zapu at the United Nations and South America.

Later his mandate was extended to cover the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Western Europe with offices in London.

In 1979, Cde Dube moved to Lusaka, Zambia where he became the director of information and editor in chief of PF Zapu publications.

He was a member of PF Zapu delegation to the Lancaster House Conference from 1979 to 1980.

At Independence up to 1990, he was a PF Zapu national executive member.

Between 1988 and 1990, he was a member of that national integration committee tasked to implement the Unity Accord between Zanu PF and PF Zapu.

In 1989, working as deputy secretary for administration, Dube saw the ascension of the late First Lady Cde Sally Mugabe to the helm of the Women’s League.

In October 1990, he did a diplomatic course before an ambassadorial posting in France.

From 1990 to 1996, Dube was ambassador extra ordinary and plenipotentiary of Zimbabwe to France, Spain, Portugal, the Vatican and UNESCO.

In 1997 to 2000, vice chairman of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Zimbabwe Investment Centre board member.

From 2002 to 2004 he was appointed ambassador to Nigeria before moving to Zambia in the same post from 2004 to 2006.

In 2012 and 2013 he was appointed chairman of the NRZ board of directors.

Mourners are gathered at number 35 George Avenue, Kumalo.