Story by Kenias Chivuzhe Reporting
All is set for the burial of the national hero Cde Tineyi Chigudu at the National Heroes Acre this Monday.
The people of Manicaland province had a chance to bid farewell to one of their own after the body of the former Manicaland Governor and ZANU PF Provincial Chairperson was taken to his rural home in Chiendambuya this Sunday.
Family representative Emmanuel Chigudu said, “Cde Chigudu was a farmer, our mentor, a teacher and he was full of wisdom. We thank President Mnangagwa for recognising his contributions towards national development.”
“We thank the President for honouring one of our own by declaring him a nation Hero. He assisted the poor and developed a lot of infrastructure here,” added headman Chiendambuya.
A former workmate said, “We thank President Mnangagwa for declaring Cde Chigudu a national hero. He was jailed while he was in Form Two and spent 12 years in prison. We are happy as a family that he has been declared a national hero. Our family used to fight colonialism and it is in his family DNA to fight for majority rule.”
The Manicaland community and leadership commended President Emmerson Mnangagwa for honouring the sacrifices made by Cde Chigudu who left a legacy of hard work and patriotism before and after independence.
The Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Advocate Misheck Mugadza says Manicaland appreciates President Mnangagwa for honouring the great works by Cde Chigudu.
“Here lies the intelligence supremo of the province, an astute legal mind and a revered public servant who worked at the apex of public service structure. Cde Chigudu was not only a blessing to the family and his community but the nation as a whole and this is the reason why President Mnangagwa declared him a national hero.”
The body of Cde Chigudu was taken back to Harare where it will lie in state at his house before burial set for this Monday.
Meanwhile, the Director in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Mrs Sylvia Sithole-Fundire revealed that all logistical arrangements have been put in place to ferry people to the national shrine.
She said, “The body of the national hero Cde Tinaye Chigudu will be taken to his home in Harare ahead of tomorrow’s burial. All the logistical arrangements to ferry people to the national shrine have been made. We thank the President for declaring him a national hero. Let’s all attend the national event in our numbers to give our hero Cde Chigudu a befitting send off.”
As an intelligence operative in the then-Salisbury, Cde Chigudu worked tirelessly in pursuit of freedom.
His mission led to his capture by the Rhodesian regime, and he endured 12 years of imprisonment.
Upon his release, the former Manicaland Province Governor and ZANU PF Chairperson resumed his duties in the armed struggle. After independence, Cde Chigudu continued to serve the nation with unwavering commitment.
In his illustrious political career, Cde Chigudu served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Governor for Manicaland Province, and ZANU PF Manicaland Provincial Chairperson.
