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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
AGED 94, Mrs Leah Nkala has a grave reserved for her next to that of her husband, national hero and Zapu national organising secretary Cde Lazarus Mavava Nkala who died in 1975 in a car accident near Mbembesi and did not enjoy the fruits of independence.

On Monday which was Heroes Day, Mrs Nkala and her son, Liberty, were among the families that visited Pelandaba Cemetery where Cde Nkala was buried and was declared a national hero after independence.

Born in 1927, his death came a year after he was released from Gonakudzingwa Prison, where he served 10 years while detained with the likes of the late Vice Presidents, Dr Joshua Nkomo and Joseph Msika.

As part of Heroes Day commemorations, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube along with families of national heroes visited the graves of luminaries who are buried at Lady Stanley and Pelandaba cemeteries, before she proceeded to Nkulumane Provincial Heroes Acre.

The graves of national heroes at Lady Stanley and Pelandaba Cemeteries can be found among the thousands of graves at the two cemeteries.

Interred at Lady Stanley are Cdes Lookout Masuku, Welshman Mabhena, Ethan Dube, Wilford Lizathi Sibanda, Masala Sibanda, Isaac Nyathi and Swazini Ndlovu.

National heroes buried at Pelandaba cemetery are Cdes Nkala, Njini Ntuta and Artwell Nelson Bokwe. Although Mrs Nkala managed to go to Pelandaba Cemetery, she could not make it to her late husband’s grave due to old age.

“These commemorations are good as they remind us as a family of the sacrifices that our husbands and fathers made for the country,” said Mrs Nkala.

She said she remembers the death of her husband just like yesterday. “It was on a Wednesday, December 3, 1975, when my husband was involved in a car accident. He and his friend (Agrippa Moyo) both died. He was on his way to Bulawayo from Harare (Salisbury at the time) he had a meeting with the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo. He was the Zapu national organising secretary.”

Mrs Nkala said her husband was driving a new car that he had been given by Dr Nkomo when he died.

“Nkomo gave him his brand new Mercedes Benz as he had been called for a meeting in Zambia. Before they arrived in Bulawayo they had an accident and died on the spot.

Mrs Nkala said her husband did not taste the fruits of independence as he had been detained at the infamous Gonakudzingwa Prison for 10 years for his involvement in the freeing of the black people.

“He was detained with Joshua Nkomo and Joseph Msika for 10 years. I remember there were isolated from the rest because they were accused of influencing truancy in the prison. We used to visit them at camp five and they stayed there for a long time,” said Mrs Nkala.

Mrs Nkala said although her husband was not related to the late National Hero Enos Nkala, the latter would call the former bhudi (brother).

She said the two were in the liberation struggle in the 1950s, with the likes of Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo and were at one time detained at Khami and Whawha Prisons during the early stages of the liberation struggle.

Mrs Nkala has a reserved grave next to her husband at Pelandaba Cemetery.

She said he left behind five children.