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Dr Utete

Herald Reporters
Former Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Charles Utete — who died last Friday — will be buried today at the National Heroes Acre, with Government providing nearly 40 buses to ferry mourners to the national shrine.

Dr Utete (77), credited with moulding structures of the country’s civil service, collapsed at his Highlands, Harare, home.

He becomes the first civil servant to be interred at the national shrine.

Harare provincial administrator Mr Alfred Tome said the burial programme would begin with Dr Utete’s body leaving Highlands at 7:30am for viewing at Stodart Hall in Mbare.

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“From Mbare, we expect the proceedings at the national shrine to start at 10 o’clock,” he said.

“We urge people to be seated early. There will be 20 buses from Harare and 10 from his province (Mashonaland East) and one from each province to ferry mourners. We are saying people should come in their thousands to witness the sending off of this gallant son of Zimbabwe, a patriot, and fully dedicated civil servant. He has built the civil service we have today.”

Cde Utete’s body was yesterday flown to his rural home in Chikomba district where hundreds of people gathered at Madziyire Primary School to bid him farewell.

It was an emotional send off.

Several people chronicled touching eulogies of the good work done by Dr Utete.

The body was accompanied by his widow Verna, children Siyai, Simukai and Farisai.

Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Mike Bimha, who is also Industry and Commerce Minister, said Dr Utete, being the President’s chief advisor, always gave honest advice to the leader.

“Serving in that position, he was responsible for setting up structures of the new Government soon after independence,” he said.

“He was the chief advisor to the President and such kind of work requires someone who knows his job. The problem other leaders are making is that of giving advice just to make the leaders happy even if that advice is detrimental to the development of the country. Dr Utete is someone who gave honest advice and that is why he has been accorded this befitting status.”

Cde Bimha said although Dr Utete served in Government as a top civil servant, he remained humble and always rendered his services and skills wherever necessary.

After retiring from the civil service, Cde Bimha said, Dr Utete chaired several boards, with his immediate past chairmanship being at Zimpapers.

Dr Utete’s sister Mrs Sarah Bwakura thanked Government for declaring his brother a national hero.

“Charles was quiet and soft person. He attended Kwenda, Tegwani and Goromonzi High Schools before being enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe. He was intelligent and at the time he enrolled at University it was rare to see a black person securing a place at that institution. Because of his intellectual prowess, he was appointed the first black chief secretary to the President and Cabinet.”

Acting Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Cde Benard Makokove said the nation had been robbed of a talented and committed leader.

Born in Chivhu on October 30, 1938, Dr Utete attended University of Rhodesia and in 1963 graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Economics, before furthering his studies in the United States (Master’s in Political Science, Tufts University), Canada (MA and PhD in International Relations and Public Administration, University of Ottawa).

He went back to the US and lectured there, before returning to Zimbabwe in 1979 to join the University of Rhodesia as a senior lecturer in Political Science before serving as Dean of the Faculty of Social Affairs.

In February 1981, Dr Utete was appointed Secretary to Prime Minister Mugabe, and then Secretary to Cabinet in 1983 – a post he would hold for 20 years.

After his retirement in April 2003, Dr Utete headed the Presidential Land Review Commission, which assessed progress in implementation of the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme.

He also served and/or chaired various boards, including Cairns Holdings, the Industrial Development Corporation, Seed Co Zimbabwe, Zimpapers (1980) Limited and Astra Industries Ltd, as well as being patron of Chivhu District Hospital.

He is survived by his wife, Verna, and five children.