ZANU PF Masvingo province has reportedly been riled by the party’s refusal to grant national hero status to the late educationist and former Finance minister Samuel Mumbengegwi.
By Tatenda Chitagu
Party insiders said they were angry over the politburo’s decision to declare Retired Brigadier-General Felix Muchemwa a national hero ahead of Mumbengegwi.
They claimed the decision could have been informed by factionalism.
Mumbengegwi, died aged 74, at the Avenues Clinic last week after succumbing to hypertension, diabetes and kidney ailment.
He was accorded a State-assisted funeral.
At the time of his death, he was a lecturer at the Great Zimbabwe University.
The former Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chair, who served in various Cabinet portfolios, was buried at his rural Chivi homestead on Saturday with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa officiating at the burial ceremony.
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Mumbengegwi was allegedly linked to Mnangagwa’s Team Lacoste faction which is locked in a bitter tussle with First Lady Grace Mugabe’s Generation 40 (G40) faction in the race to succeed 92-year-old Mugabe.
“Masvingo felt let down by such a snub. It boils back to factionalism. This was done to spite Team Lacoste,” an insider said.
Acting provincial chair, Amasa Nenjana, said he had wanted to raise the issue at Mumbengegwi’s burial, but was denied the opportunity to speak.
He added that his executive had unsuccessfully bid to have Mumbengegwi declared a national hero.
“We had asked for the party to accord him national hero status after submitting his curriculum vitae and contributions to the struggle. We do not know why he was not accorded the status,” Nenjana said.
“It is unfortunate that I was not given the chance to speak at his burial, but I had wanted to explain. We felt he did a lot for this country which some of us cannot match. But we accept the decision of the party. We are not saying we are against the decision, but that was our initial request for him to be declared a national hero.”
