Story by Peter Chivhima
Former Vice President and National Hero Cde Phelekezela Mphoko who died in India last week, will be buried in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Scores of government officials, services chiefs, colleagues and family members converged at Charles Gumbo Barracks in Harare for a send-off ceremony for the late former Vice President Cde Phelekezela Mphoko this Friday.
In his keynote address, Vice President General Retired Dr Constantino Chiwenga described Cde Mphoko as a giant of the liberation struggle.
“I would like to bid our farewell to our illustrious national hero, former Vice President, Cde Phelekezela Mphoko who passed on in India on 6th December. The late national hero, and former Vice President, whose norm de guerre was Cde Report, became actively involved in the country’s liberation movement at a tender age in the 1960s and was one of the first youths to be dispatched for military training in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics with the likes of comrades Akim Ndlovu, Ambrose Mutinhiri, and Charles Chikerema in 1964. He was appointed Chief of Logistics in the first military command of ZAPU in 1965 and was instrumental in the planning and execution of the Wankie and Spolilo military operations.
Dr Chiwenga chronicled Cde Mphoko’s contribution to the national healing, peace and reconciliation process.
“Due to his diligence and acumen, he was appointed Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe in 2014, a position that he held until 2017 and was also in charge of the national hearing, peace and reconciliation, where he went directly to promote national peace, reconciliation and equitable development in the country. Our late former vice president was also a successful businessman and a farmer majoring in cattle ranching. In the late Comrade Report, we have lost one of the few surviving renowned commanders from the former Zimbabwe People’s Liberation Army.”
The family is grateful to government for honouring Cde Mphoko with national hero status.
Ndabezinhle Mphoko, a family representative said, “We are grateful to the honour bestowed on our brother and as the Mphoko family we are happy that the government heard our call and granted us our brother’s wish to be buried in Bulawayo. We are not in conflict with the government, but it is the wish of the late.”
Cde Mphoko’s body was later taken to Manyame Air Force Base where it was airlifted to Bulawayo ahead of burial on Sunday.
Born in Gwizane, Bubi District on the 11th of June 1940, the late Cde Mphoko joined the liberation struggle in 1964 and received military training in Russia.
After independence, he served in various government positions and was posted to diplomatic missions from 1987, serving in countries such as Russia, Austria and South Africa, among others.
He served as Vice President from December 2014 to November 2017.
He is survived by his wife Laurinda, three children and three grandchildren.
