Sibangilizwe, son of the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, has called for the immediate replacement of board members appointed to run various projects set up to honour his father, describing them as “deadwood”.
Report by Dumisani Sibanda Bureau Chief
In an interview on Monday, Sibangilizwe said the boards had done little to maintain the veteran nationalist’s legacy.
“The boards for projects in honour of Umdala, including the Joshua Nkomo Foundation itself — which has been in existence for the past 10 years — are just deadwood that needs to be replaced,” he said.
“There is no focus at all. The vision of the old man has been lost.
“I am just talking about boards like the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) and Ekusileni Hospital Board for instance. “There is need for renewal of trustees or board members.”
Sibangilizwe said there was a “lot of talk” about his father’s legacy, but nothing was being done on the ground to preserve it.
Ekusileni Medical Centre — supposed to be a specialist facility, built in 2002 with the help of the National Social Security Authority — is fast becoming a white elephant. It is yet to be opened.
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DTZ was supposed to start a canning project and equipment that was imported about a decade ago for that purpose is still lying idle at the Balu Arda Estate in Umguza.
The canning plant was supposed to be set up at Esigodini.
Another DTZ project, Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi which at its peak had 35 000 cattle, has been run down over the years.
State projects like mounting a statue on Bulawayo’s Main Street and renaming the street after the icon have also been put on hold.
Nkomo — who had assumed demi-god status among the masses during the liberation struggle — passed away 14 years ago.
