The Sunday News
Vincent Gono, Features Editor
THE gala to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passing on of celebrated Zanla Commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara will be held in March.
An art and pictorial exhibition will be held at the National Art Gallery in Harare on 4 February, while the gala will be held at a date to be announced in March to allow for the completion of renovations at the Harare International Conference Centre where the gala will be held, a family member confirmed on Friday.
Cde Tongogara’s son Hondo told Sunday News that the gala that was scheduled for 4 February, was moved to a date to be announced in March. He said although Gen Tongogara died on 26 December 1979, the gala was set to coincide with his birthday.
“We are organising the gala. We had set the date to coincide with his birthday on 4 February but the gala will now be held at a later date, sometime in March, mid-March to be precise. This is because the venue, the HICC is undergoing renovations and I am informed that they will be through in March. On 4 February we are therefore going to have the art and pictorial exhibition at the National Art Gallery here in Harare,” said Cde Hondo Tongogara.
He added that there were a number of projects that they were doing in honour of Gen Tongogara.
“There is the Josiah Tongogara Foundation that is helping more than 30 academically gifted children who cannot afford to pay their fees. We are happy most of the students performed very well in the A-level examinations. We are trying to make sure they get money to proceed to university and the gala is just for that cause,” he said.
He thanked the new political dispensation for allowing the recognition of their father’s role in the liberation of the country, adding that as the family they would continue pushing for his liberation ideals to be upheld.
Last year, King George VI Barracks, which houses the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe headquarters was renamed Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in honour of the revered late nationalist.
“Our father together with most of the liberation war heroes fought for total emancipation of the black people. He was a straight talker who was very clear on what he wanted for the independent Zimbabwe. He fought for freedom, empowerment, unity and education and these are the ideals that we want realised by all Zimbabweans as a foundation.”
Cde Hondo Tongogara added that the gala was going to be characterised by performances from a number of prominent artistes in the country.
“We have already spoken to a number of the country’s prominent artistes and they have all confirmed their presence. In fact, they are all raring to go and I am quite hopeful it will be successful. The list of artistes is big, the response from our artistes was just overwhelming,” he said.
Gen Tongogara was born on 4 February, 1938 in Shurugwi and died on Boxing Day, 1979 in a car accident which occurred in Massinga District, Inhambane Province in Mozambique soon after the Lancaster House Agreement which gave birth to independent Zimbabwe. He was declared national hero and interred at the National Heroes Acre.
