The Sunday News
Vincent Gono in Bulilima
AN amazing show of unity was witnessed when politicians from the political divide thronged Macingwane Village in Bulilima district, Matabelelend South province to bid farewell to Mangwe MP and former Home Affairs Deputy Minister Obedingwa Mguni who was laid to rest at his rural home yesterday.
Cde Mguni — the liberation war hero who died on Tuesday after a bout of coughing while attending Parliament was described as an epitome hard work, humility, peace and a unifier par excellence who always listens to the people he represented.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi described Cde Mguni as a hard worker and one who never wavered in his political career. He said Cde Mguni was a senior person whose desire was to bring politicians together and foster national development.
He said Parliament was now poor without him as his ideas were always sound and on point adding that the number of Parliamentarians who were present to bid him farewell were testimony to his good works as he would accommodate everyone without political bias.
Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs President Chief Fortune Charumbira also spoke glowingly about Cde Mguni saying he was a committed cadre whose calls for unity were loud and bold even at death as witnessed by the number of politicians from the country’s political divide at his burial.
He said the show of unity demonstrated at grassroots political levels should be heeded and acted upon at the top, adding that unity was synonymous with peace and development and that was what chiefs were calling for.
“The kind of unity demonstrated today is what we want as Zimbabweans. That unity that is evident at low political levels should go up and mature into proper political dialogue at the top. We have seen politicians from the political divide, the MDC Alliance MPs came in their numbers led by their chief whip — Mutseyami (Prosper). We have MPs like Hon Chinotimba (Joseph), Hon Nzuma (Soul) and many others from very far. All provinces are represented and that’s what we call unity,” Chief Charumbira said.
He described Cde Mguni as a hard worker and straight talker who loved development and hated gossip.
Speaking on behalf of Speaker of Parliament Hon Jacob Mudenda, Zanu-PF spokesman who is also Matabeleland South Senator Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo said Cde Mguni was a principled politician and a hard worker.
“Cde Mguni was brave. He left a legacy of humility, love, peace, development and unity. He understood that unity leads to development and worked to unify people across the political divide. They used to call him Madlala but I called him Masebenza because he was a hard worker.
“He was not like other MPs who are always on voice mail in Parliament, he would speak out his mind and was always sensible and an advocate of development. He was a committed, principled, and disciplined cadre of the revolution who was down to earth and a man of the people. I say to him, ‘go well son of the soil, we are poor without you,’” said Cde Moyo.
Matabeleland South Minister for Provincial Affairs Cde Abednego Ncube called on politicians to emulate the good work of Cde Mguni saying he had a well documented history of heroic tact. He said Cde Mguni joined the liberation struggle in 1976 at the age of 15 and got active in the youth wing and rose through the ranks to become the deputy chief whip having been MP for Mangwe for two terms.
“He played his part in serving the Government and did so with distinction. He articulated the President’s vision of being an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and did everything in his respective role to grow the economy. His sacrificial deeds should not be in vain but should be emulated and celebrated by all as he remained resolute after independence in pursuance of the goals of the liberation struggle that he fought and that many here can testify was not a walk in the park,” said Cde Ncube.
His burial was attended by Parliamentarians and politicians from MDC Alliance and Zanu-PF with Job Sikhala saying they were moved by the spirit of ubuntu and at the same time reciprocating what Zanu-PF did at the burial of Hon Vimbai Tsvangirai recently. Cde Mguni last Tuesday was rushed to the West End Clinic after a cough attack where he later died.
