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President Mugabe hands over the Zimbabwe flag to Dr Charles Utete’s widow Verna while Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo and other dignitaries look on at the National Heroes Acre yesterday. — (Picture by John Manzongo)

Herald Reporters
The National Heroes Acre yesterday reverberated to revolutionary and gospel tunes as thousands of Zimbabweans bade farewell to the first black Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and distinguished academic Dr Charles Munhamu Botsio Utete.

Dr Utete died last Friday at his Highlands, Harare, home aged 77.

He was declared a national hero for his exceptional contribution in restructuring and shaping the country’s civil service bureaucracy from 1980.

Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango (centre) and other mourners after viewing national hero Dr Charles Utete’s body at Stodart Hall in Mbare, Harare, yesterday

Multitudes of people clad in national colours assembled at the national shrine to give a befitting send off to the pioneer of Zimbabwe’s civil service system.

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Apart from the impressive crowd, the bushy parking lot around the shrine was not spared as parking space ran out.

The sombre event was punctuated by music and dance from members of Mbare Chimurenga Choir, police choral music choir and Vabvuwi.

The procession started at Stodart Hall in Mbare where people from all walks of life gathered for body viewing.

President Mugabe flanked by his two Vice Presidents Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko at the burial of Dr Charles Utete at the National Heroes Acre yesterday

President Mugabe, in his capacity as the Head of State and Government and the Utete family, led the body viewing procession.

They were followed by Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko and senior Government officials before the hearse proceeded to the National Heroes’ Acre for burial.

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni, Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe and Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha at Dr Utete’s burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare yesterday

At the national shrine, it was a hive of activity with mourners waving pictures of Dr Utete while others raised banners with various messages.

Some of the banners read: “Architect and builder of the public service, Dr Utete: a committed and loyal team player and the professional technocrat par excellence.”

President Mugabe arrived at the National Heroes’ Acre in style as he was greeted by wild cheers and thunderous applause.

Zanu-PF supporters could be heard chanting: “Ukaita kutamba naGushungo nyere dzinorira” while others were singing “Gushungo havamborwara kunyeberana.”

Service Chiefs salute during Dr Charles Utete’s burial

Close family member and Civil Service Commission chairman Dr Mariyawanda Nzuwah paid tribute to Dr Utete describing him as a committed public servant who died working for the people.

“The greatest thing he taught me was that when you say civil service you mean you are a servant of the people and therefore it is a lesson for all of us that when we work in the public service you must always remember that we are there to serve the people,” said Dr Nzuwah.

“Right up to the time of his departure from us, he retired in 2003 but he is one person who never went out and say now I can make money. In my opinion he died a poor man.

Some of the messages displayed on placards during the burial of Dr Charles Utete at the national shrine yesterday. — (All pictures by John Manzongo and Tawanda Mudimu)

“In fact, he continued to work for the public in one form or another. Some of you may not know but on Wednesday this past week before his death, he asked to see me because he had an office in the Public Service Commission from which he was doing the advisory to the Government and to the Head State and Government. I was quite surprised that although he was in my office working on Wednesday when I called him on Friday, immediately after seeing the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Dr Misheck Sibanda), the phone was answered by his son and I said, ‘can I talk to your father’ and the son said, ‘No, you can’t talk to him’. I said, ‘why not?’

“He said, ‘He is dead’. I said ‘no, don’t joke with me’. He said, ‘I am standing next to his body’. So I dropped my phone and rushed there only to find him lying there facing the ceiling in his own house. He died working, working for the people. To me and the Public Service it is a loss in my own opinion which cannot be replaced.”

Family representative Dr Tapuwanashe Bwakura said: “He accommodated everyone in the family, everyone in the neighbourhood irrespective of position in society. He was a man of integrity. Sekuru vangu ndoziva kuti zvemadhiri hapana chinofamba. He counselled us and empowered us to be honest, diligent, hard-working citizens for the country. He had exceptional leadership qualities.”