×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Big send off for VP Nkomo

News
THOUSANDS of people from all walks of life yesterday braved the heavy rains that pounded Bulawayo to bid farewell to the late VP John Nkomo before his body was flown back to Harare for burial at the National Heroes’ Acre today.

THOUSANDS of people from all walks of life yesterday braved the heavy rains that pounded Bulawayo to bid farewell to the late Vice-President (VP) John Nkomo before his body was flown back to Harare for burial at the National Heroes’ Acre today.

Report by Nduduzo Tshuma

Nkomo died at a private Harare hospital last Thursday following a long battle with cancer.

The Zanu PF politburo immediately declared him a national hero. His body was flown to his rural home in Tsholotsho on Saturday and to his Worringham suburb home in Bulawayo yesterday afternoon.

The public was given the opportunity to bid Nkomo farewell at the Large City Hall late in the afternoon.

Several Zanu PF and government officials led by Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo accompanied the veteran nationalist’s body.

The body was supposed to arrive in Bulawayo in the morning, but only arrived shortly after midday due to the heavy rains that pounded Tsholotsho forcing the helicopters to delay take off.

At one point, a decision was made to transport the body by road after the rains persisted.

Football legend Peter Ndlovu, who walked with the aid of crutches following his recent involvement in a car crash that killed his brother Adam, was among those who braved the wet weather to give an emotional send-off to Nkomo.

A church service led by a military chaplain was conducted at Nkomo’s home before body viewing.

Initially, the body was supposed to lie at the White City Stadium, but the venue had to be changed to the Large City Hall due to the heavy rains.

Addressing mourners, Water Resources minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, who is the late VP’s family spokesperson, paid tribute to President Robert Mugabe for according the nationalist a hero status.

“He has been put to rest,” Sipepa Nkomo said. “We were seeing in the last days that things were not going well and we thank God for letting him rest.

“No one can escape death, it is something that God designed. “His nickname was ‘Bomber’ because he did not tolerate nonsense, you could not grow under him and become a fool.”

Sipepa Nkomo urged Zimbabweans to emulate the late VP’s political tolerance.

“He was a member of Zanu PF and I belong to MDC-T, but he accepted we had different political views and we had a good relationship,” he said.

“Let us respect each other’s political choices instead of going to the extent of axeing each other over politics.”

Speaking at the same occasion, Khaya Moyo thanked Nkomo’s family for allowing their loved one to be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare.

He described Nkomo as a “unifier” who did not discriminate on the basis of tribe, political affiliation and region.

“I want to thank you for showing unity by coming. There are a lot of people from various political parties . . . when we leave him at the Heroes’ Acre tomorrow, his counterparts will ask how he left things. We want him to say he left a united people and not thieves,” Khaya Moyo said.

Several ministers and Zanu PF heavyweights who included the party’s secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, State Security minister Sydney Sekeramayi, party secretary for Youth Affairs Absalom Sikhosana and secretary for information and publicity Rugare Gumbo attended the service.

MDC-T was represented by Bulawayo provincial chairman and State Enterprises minister Gorden Moyo.

The body was flown to Harare where it was expected to lie in state overnight at the national hero’s house in Milton Park. Nkomo’s body will be taken to Stodart Hall in Mbare this morning before burial at the National Heroes’ Acre at 9am.