Story by Peter Chivhima
A church service for Nationalist and Civic Leader Cde Ben Mucheche who succumbed to heart failure on the 14th of this month was held at his homestead in Beatrice this Wednesday, with burial set for Thursday.
It was an emotional Wednesday as friends, relatives, colleagues, and government officials gathered at Muda Farm in Beatrice for a church service in honour of the late National Hero, Cde Ben Mucheche.
“Mr Mucheche was a loving man. I remember at one time my father had no money to pay school fees for me, at one time I was enrolled at Muda and there was no money but Sekuru heard it and he paid school fees for a better school in the area so I say go well Sekuru,” said a family member.
Another family member said, “During our holidays we used to come here and Mr Mucheche used to give us a hearty welcome. Even I don’t think that I am able to do that in my life. He managed to unite us and showed us love. From him, we learnt that he was a loving man. Go well Sekuru you ran your race.”
Cde Mucheche is survived by four wives and their loss was summed up by one of them, Mrs Colleta Mucheche who expressed gratitude to the government for honouring their husband.
“On behalf of my colleagues, I want to thank President Emmerson Mnangagwa for showing respect to our husband. Baba used to tell us that he worked a lot for this nation and that one day he will be recognised and today it happened. So to us as a family, the government has fulfilled Baba’s wishes and we feel humbled. Our husband was a caring and loving husband,”
The church service was presided over by Father Edmundus Tue-Wea of St Monica Parish Beatrice who described the late national hero as a strong and upright Catholic.
“I came here four years ago, but I am very happy that I had an opportunity to interact with the late National Hero Cde Ben Mucheche. Sekuru Mucheche was a man who was a strong believer in the word of God. He was a true Roman Catholic man because every time he would say I am a roman catholic,” he noted.
Born 96 years ago, Cde Mucheche, a teacher by profession was the first to establish a taxi rank at Highfield’s Machipisa Shopping Centre in 1956.
The late Cde Mucheche used his position and hard-earned financial resources to support the nationalist movement right from its formative days in the 1950s.
After independence, Cde Mucheche did not tire as he continued to assist the nation with his resources, and this saw him offering his premises in Southerton to house ZANU PF party vehicles in the absence of a suitable place.
The late national hero will be buried at Muda farm in Beatrice this Thursday.
