THE family of the late former freedom fighter and Health deputy minister Edward Munatsireyi Pswarayi yesterday expressed bitterness over Zanu PF’s refusal to confer national hero status on their relative given his immensely documented contribution to the liberation struggle.
Feluna Nleya
In her graveside eulogies at the family’s Tondori Farm in Beatrice, Pswarayi’s widow, Marble, said: “We thought that there was no dispute that he was a real national hero.
“As a family, we know that he suffered during the days of the liberation struggle and he was an honest politician who worked for all that he had.
“After leaving government, it was as if he was forgotten and that is what happened and one is then remembered when they are dead.” Marble said even though Pswarayi had received a State-assisted funeral, it was not clear how the family was expected to obtain the assistance.
“He was given a State-assisted funeral, but we don’t know if it is here or not. We bought the casket using our own resources because the promised coffin had not come at the time of burial. Did they [government] expect us to bury him in a sack? What has irked us most is that goalposts kept changing. Initially, they had said they would feed 500 people, then the next we heard it was 200.”
She added: “It should be clear what is happening because we only saw people coming with food. There was no tent, no chairs. It’s just not clear. So we wonder whether they were really sincere in their acknowledgement of the key role he played during the war. It’s not organised.”
Pswarayi’s nephew, Nathaniel Pswarayi, also had no kind words for the Zanu PF leadership.
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“I am disappointed as I thought he would be made hero for the contribution he made, but well, we will accept what they have said. But we know that he contributed a lot during the struggle,” Nathaniel said.
Another nephew Godfrey Mwedzi said: “Although I was young back then, I could see what was happening at that time.
“We would see that he was involved in politics and he would help a lot of people during the struggle. Most of the wounded would come and be treated by him for free.
“We thought he would be conferred national hero status because of his immense contribution to the liberation of the country.”
Speaking at the same event, Zanu PF politburo member and Senator Cleveria Chizema said that Pswarayi was not conferred with a heroes status because he was no longer politically active in the party.
“I just want to clarify why he was not made a hero,” Chizema said. “To be a hero, one needs to fulfill certain qualifications in order to be conferred with the hero status.
“We sat down as a province and thought he should be made a national hero. We requested for his history, but his history indicates that he did not meet the set criteria. We thought maybe he could qualify to be a provincial hero, but because of the same reason he could not be conferred with that status. That is why he got a State-assisted funeral.”
Chizema added: “What is needed is continuity, for example (the late Eric) Gwanzura was made a national hero because he was still active in the party. He never stopped coming although he was a sick person suffering from diabetes.”
Other Zanu PF members who attended the burial were Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi, Lands and Rural Settlement deputy minister Tendai Savanhu and several Zanu PF central committee members.
Pswarayi, who died aged 87 at a private hospital in Harare on Sunday, leaves behind widow Marble, 19 children, 37 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
