Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS should be proud of the Sadc chairmanship which their country has assumed and nurture the same spirit of peace and unity shown during the recently-held summit, President Mnangagwa has said.
Speaking at the burial of national hero, Brigadier-General (Retired) Elasto Madzingira, at the National Heroes Acre in Harare yesterday, the President said the same spirit of unity and peace should be channelled towards accelerating national development going forward.
Brig-Gen Madzingira, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Ronald Zvenyika, died in Harare on August 8 at the age of 65.
“We lay the departed son of the soil a few days after we successfully held the SADC Summit. On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe and on my own behalf, may I express my deep sense of gratitude to all the people of our great motherland, Zimbabwe, for the unity, peace and warm hospitality we all demonstrated before and during the just-ended 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government,” said President Mnangagwa.
“The SADC Chairmanship I assumed is ours together. Our nation has every reason to be proud. I say to you all, Congratulations, Makorokoto, Amhlophe. Tinokutendai, Siyalibonga. Thank you, Zimbabwe. This same spirit of unity, hard work and peace should be jealously guarded and nurtured as we accelerate the development of our country. May we never waver in our love for our beautiful country, just like the liberation stalwart we are laying to rest today.”
He described Brig-Gen Madzingira as a team player who never used his positions in public entities for personal gain and urged those serving the public to emulate him.
“It was during his tenure as a board member in the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe that the first ever national private radio stations were licensed. He was unassuming, soft-spoken and always ready to share his financial knowledge to enhance corporate governance, accountability and transparency in our public entities,” President Mnangagwa said.
“The late Cde Madzingira was a team player who never used his positions in public entities for personal gain. Those presently deployed to serve in State-owned enterprises and public entities are called upon to take a leaf from the life of our departed national hero.
“These offices are essential cogs in our overall national governance and socio-economic development architecture and should be handled with the due fiduciary prudence.”
Zimbabweans, he said, should strive to have a rich legacy, just as the late heroes and heroines had done.
“In the end of our days, we too should strive to be remembered among those who helped to build and defend Zimbabwe and not to tear it down. Let us be remembered as those who changed our country; those who built our country. Let us be known for good works,” said President Mnangagwa.
He challenged parents to instil values of patriotism in their children, emulating those that approved their children to leave homes for unknown lands to fight for freedom and independence as had Cde Madzingira who abandoned university studies to join the liberation struggle.
“The current national development epoch of our country requires young people, both at home and abroad, who exemplify this character trait, to make the requisite sacrifices to accelerate the modernisation, industrialisation and prosperity of our motherland, Zimbabwe,” President Mnangagwa said.
The nation, he said, had lost a veteran of the liberation struggle, a patriotic and loyal general officer who served the Zimbabwe Defence Forces with distinction and humility.
“In him we had a trusted and versatile cadre, who was always available for deployment in the public sector. This culminated in his election into the august decision-making body of our ruling party, Zanu PF’s Central Committee”, said President Mnangagwa.
“On behalf of the Government, our colossal revolutionary mass party Zanu PF, our nation, my family and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to express my deepest heartfelt condolences to his widow, Amai Madzingira and the children, Tendai Tafadzwa, Praise, Tinotenda, Takudzwa and Tsungai”.
Born on August 4 1959 in Gomba Village, Chivi District, the late national hero was the sixth in a family of 11 children, with three of them abandoning university studies to join the liberation struggle.
His early schooling journey began with primary education in Chivi and secondary education at Fletcher High School from 1972 to 1977 after which he enrolled at the University of Rhodesia in 1978, to study Pharmacy.
Following his award of a World University Services scholarship, he had the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom or any other Commonwealth country but he made the bold decision to join the liberation struggle in Mozambique.
In spite of his young age, he demonstrated political astuteness, courage and bravery resulting in commanders selecting him to train at the front, operating under the command of retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena.
He later received further military training at Chibawawa, in Mozambique following which he assumed the role of a medical training officer.
At ceasefire in 1979, he was deployed to Inamhinga as part of the Secretariat at Zanu PF Headquarters in Maputo. Upon his return to an independent Zimbabwe in 1980, the late Brigadier General was sent to Yugoslavia to pursue studies in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Zagreb.
However, due to ill-health, he returned to Zimbabwe in March 1982 and enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe, this time for a Bachelor of Accountancy Honours Degree between 1983 and 1985.
He became part of a strategic corps of young cadres deployed in key Government institutions, previously dominated by the colonial Rhodesian personnel.
He was attested into the Air Force of Zimbabwe as a Flight Lieutenant in January 1985. Due to his dedication to duty, Cde Madzingira rose through the ranks to become Wing Commander by July 1989 before becoming Group Captain in 1992.
Whilst on duty in 1992, he sustained serious injuries which left him wheelchair-bound before he was later transferred to the Zimbabwe National Army where he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, before his retirement on medical grounds.
His health condition never discouraged or deterred him from pursuing his dreams or living a fulfilling life.
He attained numerous postgraduate qualifications, spanning from aviation to anti-corruption including a Master’s in Business Administration. He was a member of professional institutions which included the Corporate Governance Institute of Zimbabwe.
He sat on boards of state institutions and was one of the founding crop of commissioners in the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Brig Gen Madzingira was awarded several medals: Independence Medal, Ten Years Service Medal, Mozambique Campaign Medal, Liberation Medal and the Long and Exemplary medal.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Cabinet Ministers, Senate president Mabel Chinomona, Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Cde Tsitsi Gezi, legislators, service chiefs and diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe.
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