The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube in Mberengwa
VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said Zimbabwe has regained its status as the Sadc region’s breadbasket after implementing a number of key concepts in the agricultural sector which have seen the country recording successive harvests that have produced a surplus.
The Vice-President attributed this success story to the diligent work of the late Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Dr Sibusiso Moyo and the late Air Chief Marshall (Retired) Perrance Shiri led by President Mnangagwa.
VP Chiwenga was speaking during a memorial service for Dr Moyo held at the Moyo homestead at Chief Negove area in Mberengwa District yesterday. The late National Hero passed away in January after succumbing to Covid-19 related complications. VP Chiwenga described the late Dr Moyo as someone who excelled in everything he did, commending him for the work he did towards the upliftment of the country’s agricultural sector.
“Dr Moyo was a strategist, in the country he was one of those that led various agriculture programmes, he started with the National Development Priority Programme. He also chaired the External Grain Importation task force since 2016 up to 2017.
“He was also the deputy chairperson of the committee on Command Agriculture, whose chairperson was the late Air Chief Marshall Perrance Shiri, working under the command of our President ED Mnangagwa. We all saw the works of this team in the upliftment of the agricultural sector in the country during this period,” said VP Chiwenga.
He revealed that as Government they were always confident that every project that the late Dr Moyo did was assured to be a success, owing to his dedication to his work.
“Today we are harvesting in surplus, such that we have now once again regained our status as the breadbasket of the entire Southern African region. The reason we have reaffirmed this position is through the works of SB Moyo led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The late Dr Moyo was not just a hero in the war but a hero in a number of other spheres, everything he touched or did was meant to succeed,” said VP Chiwenga.
The Vice-President also noted that Dr Moyo served the country’s military service with distinction, going a long way in ensuring that the Zimbabwe National Army was recognised as a formidable force in the world.
“After independence, as a part of the Zimbabwe National Army, the late Dr Moyo upgraded himself, attaining various educational qualifications which saw him rise from the rank of Captain right up to becoming Major-General.
In his quest of work for the nation under the ZNA, Dr Moyo worked in various areas that uplifted our army and helped develop our nation. One such area which helped have the whole world recognise our army was when he became Chief of Personnel of the United Nations Observer Mission in Somalia,” said VP Chiwenga.
In Somalia, the Vice-President revealed that, Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Moyo together with Lt-General (Rtd) Mike Nyambiya played a major role in ensuring that the Somalian Seaport be opened, which was previously a no-go area, in the hands of rebels.
“He did not stop there, when the going was now tough for the Americans during that war, they requested the Zimbabwean army, using our own vehicles to take them to the sea port and the airport so they can leave the country of Somalia. So at times, together with the President we remind the Americans that we once rescued them, that is all because of the works of the late National Hero,” he said.
Zanu-PF Second Secretary and party Vice-President, Cde Kembo Mohadi said Dr Moyo’s unflinching commitment to the country’s independence remains an inspiration to many. He described the late Dr Moyo as a revolutionary par excellence who gave his all towards the upliftment of Zimbabwe.
“I know it hurts that the people who gave memories become a memory themselves. The late National Hero was a revolutionary par excellence. He joined the liberation struggle at a very tender age after having been recruited by freedom fighters at Manama High School where he was doing Form Three.
“He had a very brilliant military career after independence, rising through the ranks up to where he was when he retired. We are proud of his bravery, we are proud of his knowledge that he imparted to those that he worked with.
In all the assignments that he was given by the President he acquitted himself quite excellently,” said Cde Mohadi.
He called on the nation to take note from the works of Dr Moyo, emulate him and make sure that they continued with his legacy.
