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Harare Bureau

THERE will be a triple burial for national heroes Cde Nash Dzimiri, Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha and heroine Cde Tsitsi Jadagu at the National Heroes Acre on Monday.

Cdes Dzimiri and Jadagu both died after a short illness while Brig Gen Vezha died in a road traffic accident.

President Mnangagwa yesterday presided over a Zanu-PF Extraordinary session of the Politburo at the ruling party’s headquarters which centred on modalities for the three heroes’ joint burials.

Speaking at a press briefing after the Politburo session, Zanu-PF national spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said the conferment of national hero status to the trio was in recognition of their contribution to the country.

“Today we had an extraordinary session of the Zanu-PF Politburo where the President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa saw it fit to convene this extraordinary meeting at a very solemn occasion where the Government and the party and the people of Zimbabwe, in general, have lost solid patriots,” he said.

“The burial will be on Monday because now there are two heroes and a heroine so we need to organise properly and coordinate the families. We felt that we wanted to grant these two heroes and heroine a proper burial with due attendance by the people of Zimbabwe.”

On the conferment of Cde Dzimiri, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the Politburo had noted his undeniably immense contributions.

“Cde Nash Dzimiri has got this outstanding revolutionary career where he fought at the front, he would also train abroad in specialised areas of military warfare and was a confidant at the highest level of the high command of Zanla forces, particularly in the enforcement of discipline.

“He was also an intelligence officer who gave Africa one of the most admired security organisations which has become the basis of the Africa Security Council Union,” he said.

Ambassador Mutsvangwa said Cde Vezha’s bestowal was not only gained but also served as evidence that dedication and patriotism would always be rewarded under President Mnangagwa. 

“One of them, a promising young General, recently promoted, who was looking forward to a more illustrious posting as a military attaché of Zimbabwe to our sister republic of Tanzania, that’s Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha. He was involved in an accident between two military vehicles in the Battlefields area in Kwekwe.

“The party and the Government have seen it fit to recommend to the Politburo and the Politburo duly obliged and the President assented that Cde Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha be declared a national hero.

“We want him to serve as an example of a dedicated patriot to the young people, girl child and boy child, that works of valour and patriotic commitment to the Republic of Zimbabwe will always be duly recognised,” he said.

Cde Mutsvangwa said the Politburo learnt of Cde Jadagu’s death today just before the commencement of the extraordinary session.

He described her as a dedicated cadre whom the Politburo had seen fit to bestow the honour of national heroine status.

“Sadly as the President was coming to deliberate on these two male cadres, we received news that Cde Grace Tsitsi Jadagu, a long-time cadre of the party, this one belongs to the Women’s League. She passed away and Harare Province has seen it fit to ask that she be declared a national hero and the President in consultation with his Politburo duly acceded to the request from Harare Province,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.

“So Cde Gare Tsitsi Jadagu will be interred together with the two others, so we have a triple burial at the Heroes Acre of these three outstanding patriots after all of them have been conferred with national hero status. 

Cde Mutsvangwa said Cde Jadagu was at the forefront of mobilising votes for Zanu-PF so that the ruling party could snatch two seats from Muzorewa in the urban areas. 

“She was one of the organisers of the 1980 elections who managed to make Zanu-PF penetrate urban areas,” he said.

The message to confer her with the highest honour was conveyed at her Chitungwiza residence by the party’s Treasurer General, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, last night.

Briefing mourners, Cde Chinamasa said when the status of Cde Jadagu was brought up at yesterday’s Extraordinary meeting, there was unanimity that she deserved it.

Cde Chinamasa said it was agreed to bury her next Monday at the National Heroes Acre together with two other national heroes.