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1356: The official proceedings have ended and that brings an end to our live updates.

1330: The late Cde Bandama’s wife, Florence, receives the national flag from President Mugabe.

1328: President Mugabe lays a wreath.

1257: “Go well, fambai zvakanaka tatenda” With that the President ends his address.

A pall bearer stands next to Cde Bandama’s casket.Pic by Elita Chikwati

1251: “Watora uyu musikana wasiya womhanya pane uyo..you have not taught yourself discipline..havaperi vakanaka….you just settle for one…you want polygamy? Kana uchibva kune vetsika woita barika rakanaka asi woziva kuti moto..havambofa vakanzwanana..one is enough because the one is a stranger to you…you want her to think as you think..you get to compromise..now kana vari vaviri vatatu unozvikwanisa iwe…otherwise unozoita se uyu bhururu wangu..ndakutomunzwira tsitsi…well Elliah was a disciplined person”

1246: “When all is said and done the one area where our people must as individual s in society in the areas they find themselves, must do for themselves is to develop their own discipline, external discipline yes…..but that is not the greater aspect of discipline, No, the greater one is one from your conscience.”

1243: “We are very proud of army, we are very proud of police force..every year we have persons serving elsewhere,United Nations, every year we have them. It is that realisation that these young people had, they left school.”

1235: “They realised that unity was basic to their struggle..it was fundamental.”

1232: “Here you must have made real hard and bitter sacrifices..war is real, to join to go to war is to challenge death. It’s a challenge you are making…I have a cause to fight for so the enemy if you manage to kill me, kill me I have cause to fight for the freedom of my people. I want the freedom of my country, my own freedom so my people can have the opportunity to unite the opportunity to won their natural resources, the opportunity to develop those natural resources”

Cde Bandama’s casket is carried to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Pic by Elia Chikwati

1229: “Let it be known here at this scared shrine that the act of conferring the hero status comes from the commitment to the life of struggle right to the bitter end”

1226: “This is what they thought about us..we were nothing if anything were closer to animals, beasts…cadres like Elliah sacrificed to fight..let it to be known however that as we lay him to rest he we are also saying if people behave like Elliah Bandama did, they will get this recognition by the nation.”

1224: “There they sat, they saw Africa as a big cake they could divide amongst themselves…ku Berlin ikoko…..kugovana mombe yafa here? Aiwa ndozvavakaita izvozvo…ndozvakaita varume vakuru..kana kumbofunga kuti kune vanhu..hanti King Leopold kuma missionary  kuti munovaudza kuti pasi pano hapazi perugare”

1217: “If you have looked at a bit of what was written about his life…you’ll gather that at his tender age of 17 he decided really to follow a direction that has led him to a great life, a life of sacrifice”

1215: “You have the virtue of discipline, the virtue of understanding that if you are to success what those above says must be done must be done..obedience to command..that is what makes not just a soldier but every person, a disciplined person, that is what gives a person that integrity”

1213: “His own actions, his own sacrifice, his own commitment totality of his givenness to others, the freedom of others was his contribution to nation building.”

1209: “So rather than mourn let’s rejoice that this son of ours together has done us proud and here we are laying to rest and making him proud as well.”

1208: “That great family has its own web of relationships which connected him yes to the relatives but later on to others who similarly had committed themselves to fighting a struggle, waging a struggle in the national interest. So today bother Bandama tell the nation when you get back, tell the family when you get back home that the nation joins you in the grief”

1205: “He died before enjoying the fruits of his hard work all captured in his promotion..well we have to accept it, he was a son, a husband, a father, a brother, a son in law indeed he was all these ramifications of relationships and many other things by blood which connected him to the extended family. when all is said and dine the greatest family was that which he joined, the family of freedom fighters which in itself was only a call for what was Zanu, what was Zapu.”

1202: “We are immortal people..hupenyu tichinawho hatifunge zvekufa.”

1201: “Gamba ratiri kuviga rakatidadisa, ranga rakashinga…tino dada navo. Once more we meet at the sacred shrine to send off yet another hero Cde Bandama..a hero of our struggle, a serving senior officer in our national army.”

1158: “Nhasi uno zvaita sei ve Britain vati vanhu venyu takuda kuti vadzoke..ko makambo vatore sei..vakatorwa vachiuya nechichemo chekuti varikudzvanyirirwa, makuda kuva dzose futi kuudzvanyiriri?”

1156: “Muviri wako inyama ka, nyama ikaramba ichingorohwa nezvibhakera zvematambudziko iwawa inodakara yanechirwere, isu tiripo ndisu totevera gwara..uyu watiri kuviga nhasi anga asina kukura, 56 years…ndozvandinoreva izvozvi…hurwere hunobva mumatambudziko emumasango.”

1153: “Kuzvipira hakungo reva kuti ndofa ndofa nekuti ini ndanga ndichida zvakadai asi kuzvipira kusunungura vamwe”

1148: Chokwadi chaka buda kuna Elliah akava neku joina vamwe, akave neku dzidziswa akadzoka arimu mauto edu..tese tova reruzivo rwekuti akashanda mushando unotendeseka ndosaka ainzi ave commander pakadai dakara azokwirira patave kumuvigira nekuti akatwasanuka…ko nyika yasununguka ka..ngaarumbidzwe ndosaka tichi rumbidza Elliah Bandama se gamba guru…tomuviga isu sa Major General…hukuru hwataka mupa ave kurwara. Akasvika pakufa asinga zive kuti ava Major General.

1143: “Kuzvipira ndozvazvino reva….urikusimbisa moyo wako, urikuona vanhu vako nematambudziko avo..izvozvo zvekuzvipa moyo wekizvipira..kana kuri kufa ngakuuye ndoenda kwaka enda vamwe…nzira hongu dzinga dai dzaka pesana asi dzai guma.”

1139: “Zvairwadza kudzvinyirirwa, hondo yerusunungoko yairwadza zvakare..mutoro yekuva musango…kudya kusina kukwana..zirwere zvinouya zvichienda”

1137: President Mugabe is now addressing the gathering.

1134: Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi invites President Mugabe to the podium.

1100: The casket is carried to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with President Mugabe in tow.

1056: The body of Maj-Gen Bandama arrives at the National Heroes Acre.

1030: Some people climb Tower Lights to get a glimpse of the proceedings.

1024: Major-Gen Bandama’s wife pays her last respects.

Major-General Bandama’s wife Florence (in white) says goodbye.Pic by Elita Chikwati

1014: Body viewing starts as President Mugabe pays his last respects.

President Mugabe pays his last respects-Pic by Elita Chikwati

1004: President Mugabe arrives.

0951: VP Mujuru arrives.

General Constantine Chiwenga, Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces arrives at Stodart Hall-Pic by Elita Chikwati

0943: Service Chiefs arrive.

0940: Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives.

0921: The body of Major-Gen Elliah Bandama arrives.

The body of Maj-Gen Bandama is carried into Stodart Hall.Pic by Elita Chikwati

0921: Mourners have started arriving at Stodart Hall in Mbare for the body viewing.