The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
THERE will be a triple burial of national heroes — Cde Nash Nyasha Dzimiri, Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha and heroine Cde Tsitsi Grace Jadagu — at the National Heroes Acre on Monday, the ruling Zanu PF party said yesterday.
Cde Dzimiri died on April 16 after a short illness while Brig Gen Vezha died in a road traffic accident on the same day. Cde Jadagu succumbed to a short illness on April 18.
President Mnangagwa yesterday presided over an extraordinary session of the Zanu PF Politburo at the ruling party’s headquarters, which centred on modalities for the three heroes’ joint burials.
Speaking at a press briefing after the Politburo session, Zanu PF National Spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said the Second Republic would continue rewarding and recognising excellence hence the three’s conferment of national hero status.
“Today we had an extraordinary session of the Zanu PF Politburo. The President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa saw it fit to convene this extraordinary meeting at a very solemn occasion, where the Government and the party and the people of Zimbabwe in general have lost solid patriots.
“The burials will be on Monday because now there are two heroes and a heroine so we need to organise properly and coordinate the families.
“We felt that we needed to grant these two heroes and heroine a proper burial, with due attendance by the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
On the conferment of Cde Dzimiri, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the Politburo had noted his undeniable and immense contributions hence the due recognition.
“Cde Nash Dzimiri has got this outstanding revolutionary career where he fought at the front. He would also train abroad in specialised areas of military warfare and was a confidant at the highest level of the high command of ZANLA forces, particularly in the enforcement of discipline.
“He was also an intelligence officer, who gave Africa one of the most admired security organisations, which has become the basis of the Africa Security Council Union,” he said.
Ambassador Mutsvangwa said Cde Vezha’s conferment with the highest honour was not only deserved but also served as evidence that dedication and patriotism will always be rewarded under President Mnangagwa.
“One of them, a promising young General, recently promoted, who was looking forward to a more illustrious posting as a military attaché of Zimbabwe to our sister republic of Tanzania, that’s Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha. He was part of a head-on accident involving two military vehicles in Battlefields area, in Kwekwe. There were others who were lost.
“The party and the Government have seen it fit to accept to recommend to the Politburo and the Politburo duly obliged, and the President assented that Cde Brigadier General Shadreck Vezha be declared a national hero.
“We want him to serve as an example of a dedicated patriot to the young people, girl child and boy child, that works of valour and patriotic commitment to the Republic of Zimbabwe will always be duly recognised,” he said.
Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the Politburo learnt of Cde Jadagu’s death yesterday just before the commencement of the extraordinary session.
He described her as a dedicated cadre whom the Politburo had seen fit to bestow the honour of national heroine.
“Sadly as the President was coming to deliberate on these two male cadres, we received news about Cde Grace Tsitsi Jadagu, a long time cadre of the party, this one belongs to the Women’s League. She passed away and Harare Province has seen it fit to ask that she be declared a national heroine, and the President in consultation with his Politburo duly acceded to the request of Harare Province.
“So Cde Grace Tsitsi Jadagu will be interred together with the other two. We will have a triple burial at the Heroes Acre of these three outstanding patriots, after all of them were conferred with National Hero status.
“She was at the forefront of organising the vote for Zanu PF so that we could snatch two seats away from Muzorewa in the urban areas. She was one of the organisers of the 1980 elections who managed to make Zanu PF penetrate urban areas,” he said.
The message to confer her with the highest honour was conveyed at her Chitungwiza residence by the party’s Treasurer General, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, last night.
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Briefing mourners, Cde Chinamasa said when the status of Cde Jadagu was brought up at yesterday’s extraordinary meeting, there was unanimity that she deserved it.
Cde Chinamasa said it had been agreed to bury her next Monday at the National Heroes Acre together with two other national heroes.
“We have been sent by His Excellency the President to say we are sorry for your loss. Her story is long and elaborate given her work before and after independence,” he said.
Cde Chinamasa chronicled the contributions made by Cde Jadagu from the time she grew up as a girl in Murehwa in Mangwende Village.
Her role as a war collaborator before independence, coupled with her illustrious work afterwards, left the Politburo satisfied that she deserved the highest honour.
“Whatever she touched would turn into gold as she fought for black empowerment. We had a Politburo meeting this afternoon and when her issue was discussed, everyone agreed that she deserved the highest honour,” said Cde Chinamasa
“She was upright, frank and forthright so much that if you were a sellout she would say so right in your face.”
Her son, Mr Ngoni Jadagu commended Zanu PF and the Government for the conferment of the highest honour.
“We are quite grateful for the honour. My mother was faithful not only to Zanu PF and the nation but also to God,” said Ngoni.
Present at the Jadagu residence was Zanu PF National Political Commissar, Cde Mike Bimha, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Cde Charles Tavengwa and Zanu PF provincial members led by Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa among others.
Cde Jadagu was born on March 11, 1943, and went to Murehwa mission in 1959 and trained as a police officer before she trained as a teacher at Nyadire Mission in 1960.
During the struggle she was a war collaborator.
After independence, she served as councillor for Chitungwiza Ward 16 and was later appointed special Interest Councillor in 2013. She was appointed a Senator in 2014.
Cde Jadagu started her political career when she was 17 years old in Mangwende Village, where her father’s brother was a chief and an active member of ZAPU.
During the time her family, led by Chief Mangwende, had a conflict with the Rhodesian native commissioner over national politics.
The whole family was then forced out of the village over that issue, which resulted in them seeking refuge in T12 Old Highfield. That is when she became a member of the Youth in ZAPU together with Sabina Mugabe (the late), Tsitsi Munyati, Ruth Chinamano and others.
She is survived by seven children, six daughters and one son.
Mourners are gathered at 6979 Unit J, Chitungwiza
