Provincial hero Matanda laid to rest

Johnsias Mutonhori, Midlands Correspondent

The Midlands Province on Thursday bid a solemn farewell to former liberation war fighter, Cde John Matanda, who was laid to rest with full military honours at the Midlands Provincial Heroes’ Acre. 

Cde Matanda died on 14 February 2024, at his home in Clifton Park, Gweru after a short illness and was conferred a liberation war hero status. 

He was described as a selfless freedom fighter, a dedicated son of the soil, a loyal cadre of Zanu-PF, and a development practitioner in the Midlands Province who would be  missed.

He was born on the 6 January 1957 in Mutare and joined the liberation struggle in 1976, as a ZANLA combatant where after training in Mozambique he was deployed in the Gaza Province, Detachment 3, sector 4 as a section commander until the cease-fire in 1979.

He was later attested into the Zimbabwe National Army in 1981 and stationed at HQ 5 Brigade as a Mechanic Journeyman Class 1. After retirement, he started farming  at his plot in Game Park Farm in Gweru District.

Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Owen Ncube described the late Cde Matanda as  a selfless cadre who sacrificed his life to the freedom of the country from colonial bondage.

“I would like to convey my deepest heartfelt condolences to the Matanda family on the untimely departure of their beloved father and mentor, Cde Matanda.  

“He persevered through pain and  tragedy, for the sake of the people and the country of Zimbabwe that he dearly loved. A huge gap very hard to fill has been created in his family, the party Zanu-PF, and the entire Midlands Province which will be hard to fill.”

He walked the people down memory lane reminding them that the objective of the war of liberation was to gain political and economic independence for the black majority who were treated as second-class citizens in their own country. 

The late Cde Matanda is survived by his wife Rumbidzai Munandi and two children, Tarisai and Juliet Matanda.