The Sunday News
Sunday News Reporters
FORMER Zanu-PF Women’s League Secretary for Administration and war veteran Cde Esphina Nhari has died. She was 62. Cde Nhari died in an accident when a Mazda BT 50 she was driving collided head on with a BMW near Kadoma at around 9pm on Friday. Zanu-PF Midlands spokesperson Cde Cornelius Mpereri confirmed Cde Nhari’s death saying she was on her way to Harare from Kwekwe when the accident occurred. He said the province was deeply saddened by the untimely death of Cde Nhari.
“We wish to announce the untimely death of Cde Esphina Nhari who was involved in an accident on Friday near Kadoma. She was on her way to Harare where she was going for her weekend classes at the University of Zimbabwe where she was reading for a degree,” he said.
Cde Mpereri said Cde Nhari was rushed to Kadoma General Hospital and passed on when she was being attended to. Cde Nhari was a long serving member of Zanu-PF and a war veteran who was trained in Zambia at Mukushi under Zipra. Upon completing her military training she was assigned to the health department at the same camp. She held several positions both in Zapu and Zanu-PF up to the level of National Secretary for Administration in the Women’s League and Central Committee.
Cde Nhari is survived by four children and seven grandchildren. Mourners are gathered at W532 Amaveni, Kwekwe. Cde Mpereri said burial arrangements will be announced in due course. Cde Nhari was early this year given a vote of no confidence by the party after chanting the slogan “Down with G40” in Gutu during First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe’s meet the people rally in Masvingo.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association has announced the suspension of a “parallel” structure which was formed by some war veterans in Matabeleland South led by Cde Eyer Moyo.
ZNLWVA secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda announced the suspension yesterday during a war veterans feedback meeting held in Gwanda town. He said in Matabeleland South, the national executive recognised the leadership of Cde Obedingwa Mguni. Some war veterans in the province had in April announced the suspension of Cde Mguni and formed an interim committee led by Cde Moyo.
“This executive committee (led by Cde Mguni) was elected into power and it’s the one which is going to lead Matabeleland South. Mguni was never removed by any one. People need to respect people who are in power. We must be united and not be deceived by people who are not even war veterans, who didn’t feel the pain we felt while liberating this country. We should also not betray our patron who is President Mugabe and the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo because of the unity agreement they signed. War veterans’ association is not the media, people have a tendency of running to the media and claim that so and so have been removed from a position, we are now aware of that and I assure you that nothing is going to divide war veterans in Matabeleland South, or even at national level. This ‘other’ executive committee which is led by Eyer Moyo is not real. These people who include Eyer, Malack Mpofu, Christopher Dube and many others are suspended from the association, they will never hold another position until further notice, they have issues they need to solve and will go through hearing, what they did is not acceptable,” said Cde Matemadanda.
Cde Mguni who is also the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs said the association has since informed the police and Zanu-PF that that the committee led by Cde Moyo must not be allowed to hold meetings at the party’s provincial offices.
“We told police in a letter that no other factional committee will have access in this province, we will fight against it. We stated also that this ‘other’ committee should be banned from conducting any meeting in the party provincial premises because they are illegal,” he said.
He said his committee has bought a stand for the construction of provincial ZINLWVA offices and hostels which will benefit war veterans’ children. The meeting was attended by Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Deputy Minister Abigail Damasane and other war veterans from the province.
