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Joseph Madzimure

Senior Reporter

Liberation struggle stalwart and former security director in the President’s Office, Ambassador Beaven Murahwa who died last week aged 66 after battling diabetes and kidney complications, has been accorded a State-assisted funeral and liberation war hero status.

The hero status was announced last night by the Minister of State Security Owen Ncube at the Murahwa family house at 16 Cheshire Road, Mt Pleasant, Harare.

He was accompanied by Zanu PF Secretary for Finance and Economic Development Cde Patrick Chinamasa.

In a statement Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu said: “His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of Zanu PF, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa has conferred a State assisted: Liberation War Hero status to the late Cde Beaven Shungu Murahwa who died on 3 April 2021 and will be buried at the Provincial Heroes Acre.

“I shall be most grateful if you would make the usual arrangements for his burial and payment of benefits to his family. He is from Manicaland Province,” said Dr Mpofu.

Cde Chinamasa, who attended the funeral as a close relative, described the late Cde Murahwa as a person dedicated to his work.

“Our farms are close to each other in Makoni area, in Manicaland province and we used to share ideas on different issues,” said Cde Chinamasa.

Minister Ncube described him as a hard working colleague.

“When I was deployed to the State Security Ministry, he was in Tanzania. When he was about to retire he came to me. He was a professional officer in the field of security. He worked closely with President Mnangagwa in the early 1980s and during the liberation struggle,” said Minister Ncube.

Director for Administration in the President’s Office Mr Patrick Ronald Mutasa who worked closely with Cde Murahwa described him as a dedicated cadre who worked tirelessly towards the attainment of independence as well as the development of the country.

Mr Mutasa said Cde Murahwa was a rare breed of strategists who led from the front.

After independence, he played an important role in the formation of the state security department before being deployed to the diplomatic front.

President Mnangagwa at the weekend described Cde Murahwa as a brave liberation war hero and wartime member of the general staff.

“The death of Cde Beaven Shungu Murahwa after a long battle with diabetes was a great loss to the nation,” said President Mnangagwa in a statement.

Mr David Murahwa said his brother was a pillar of strength to the family.

Family spokesperson, Dr Millicent Mombeshora commended President Mnangagwa and the Government for assisting the family in paying his medical bills.

His first born daughter, Yvonne, said the death of their father was a huge loss to the family.

Cde Murahwa, whose Chimurengwa name was Cde Shungu Dzemoyo, was born in 1955 in Penhalonga, Manicaland Province, where he did his primary education.

He joined the armed struggle in 1975 when he crossed the border into Mozambique before undergoing military training at Morogoro Camp in Tanzania later that year.

He is survived by wife, Serah, three children and two grandchildren.

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.