The Sunday News
Thobekile Khumalo, Sunday News Reporter
VETERAN politician and leader of Zapu Federal Party Mr Agrippa Madlela who died last week in Bulawayo was yesterday laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery.
Mr Madlela (82), also a former senior executive at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) died at Mpilo Central Hospital on Wednesday after battling an undisclosed illness for almost a year.
ZFP was formed in 1998 by members who broke away from Zanu-PF.
Family spokesman Mr Witness Madlela gave a brief history of the late politician and said: “He did his primary education at Inyathi Primary School and high school at Thekwane Mission and proceeded to work at the National Railways of Zimbabwe for 17 years as Chief Planning Officer.
“The late Madlela was a war veteran who took part in the liberation struggle from 1963 until late 1970s where he moved to Britain where he attended university resulting in him acquiring degrees up to Masters level.”
He said Mr Madlela who at one time was the national chairman of the Forum Party of Zimbabwe which was led by the late former Chief Justice, Enoch Dumbutshena was passionate when it came to issues to do with education that is why he made it a point that schools were built in order for children to enjoy the right to education.
“His main purpose in life was to make sure that every child goes to school that is why he funded the building of four schools in Matabeleland that include Sizane High School in Bulawayo and was the head of a committee in the church that went around building schools,” said Mr Madlela.
Mr Madlela, a devout member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was born on 27 July 1937 and is survived by wife, Mrs Ginya Dakamela Madlela and two children.
