Story by Panashe Nagoli
FAMILIES and colleagues of the three national heroes laid to rest at National Heroes Acre this Monday have described them as tireless servants of the State and devoted Zimbabweans.
As the nation bids farewell to the decorated cadres of the liberation struggle, mourners reflected on lives defined by service, patriotism and personal sacrifice, underscoring the magnitude of the loss.
Cde Elson Mupamaonde, born on July 18, 1950 and known during the liberation struggle as Cde Soft Magarasadza, was remembered as a committed patriot with an illustrious political career spanning pre- and post-independence Zimbabwe.
“As a family, we have lost a father who was always loving and caring and held the family together, a true hero at home and work,” the Mupamaonde family representative said.
“He worked with a distinct love for Zimbabwe; he was a dedicated member of the government who tried his utmost best to be loyal to the revolutionary party,” Cde Mupamaonde’s colleague, Dr Zhemu Soda, said.
Cde Cosmas Chiringa, who served as Harare Metropolitan Province’s Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution at the time of his death, was honoured for nearly four decades of uninterrupted public service since 1987.
His favourite saying, “A Revolutionary Never Dies”, resonated strongly among mourners as family and colleagues paid tribute to a man they described as sincere and impactful.
“What people saw in public is exactly what he was at home, in all things he was pure and sincere and a loving man,” Chiringa family spokesperson, Mr Kudakwashe Makasi, said.
“Cde Chiringa was a man of few words but great impact because we knew him as a senior civil servant who worked tirelessly to better the lives of the people of Harare,” the late hero’s colleague, Dr Mike Bimha, said.
Major General (Rtd) Cde Herbert Chingono, whose liberation struggle name was Swift Chakanyuka, was remembered as a decorated soldier, academic and artillery expert.
Described as principled and disciplined, he was also the pillar of the Chingono family as the eldest of 13 children.
“He lived by the scripture that says blessed are the peacemakers. He left us a legacy of integrity and honesty which we will use as a guiding light,” Chingono family spokesperson Air Vice Marshall Biltim Chingono said.
“He was a trainer, and that is what we knew him as, a true soldier who had the country at heart,” colleague Brigadier General Morgan Munawa said.
While the Mupamaonde, Chiringa and Chingono families mourn their loss, Zimbabweans from across the country turned out in large numbers to offer support, reflecting a spirit of unity and solidarity.
Though grief lingers, the legacy of the three national heroes endures, with their contributions etched in the nation’s history.
