Story by Tapiwa Machemedze
LIBERATION heroine and long-serving ZANU PF Bindura district leader, Cde Concillia Gonzo, was laid to rest at the Mashonaland Central Provincial Heroes Acre in Bindura on Friday, with mourners paying tribute to her contribution to the liberation struggle, community leadership and women’s empowerment.
Hundreds of mourners gathered to bid farewell to Cde Gonzo, who died on Tuesday and was subsequently declared a liberation heroine.
Family members and community members remembered her as a principled, caring and forthright leader who was committed to guiding others.
“She was someone who stood for the truth; she never minced his words. If you spoke to her, she told you to do the correct thing, but lovingly,” a mourner said.
“She is someone who led the way in resolving pressing family matters, and she used to correct people. We looked up to her for advice,” a family member said.
“I feel very pained at the loss of my aunt. I took her for an aunt,” a relative said.
Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Christopher Magomo, described Cde Gonzo as a dedicated leader who served her community with distinction.
“I want to extend my condolences to the whole Guruve family, the whole of Mashonaland Central province. We have lost a hard worker, a corner post, Cde Wilfred Masango. He was a brave man. He was a straightforward man. It’s not easy to be a district chairman for 24 years,” he said.
Born on October 25, 1957, in Muringazuva Village under Chief Chiswiti in Mount Darwin, Cde Gonzo joined the final phase of the Second Chimurenga in 1979 as a war collaborator.
