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Herald Reporter
NATIONALIST and Zanu founder member Cde Washington Malianga (88), who died in Harare on Sunday, was buried at Warren Hills Cemetery yesterday.
His body was taken to Warren Hills after lying in state at Cde Morton Malianga’s residence in Greystone Park.Present at the burial were Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa and secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo.

Cde Gumbo described Cde Malianga as a humble person who was full of humility during and after the struggle for independence.

“He fought for independence since the 1940s before he joined the Commercial and Allied Workers Union (CAWU), a time when trade unions were more involved in politics. After forming Zanu, he represented the party at various platforms in Egypt and Britain before going to Zambia where he formed the Revolutionary Council.

“He was the secretary for information and publicity before I took over from him because of his health concerns. He led a private life but was consistent with his support for the party,” he said.

Cde Gumbo said more support should be given to freedom fighters during their lifetime and not after they pass on.

“As a party we should do more to freedom fighters when they are alive and we also want to look into their welfare than when they die. We are also failing to write about our history while we are alive.

“The future generation should know more about their achievements,” he said.

Cde Washington Malianga’s nephew, Mr Kumbirai Malianga, thanked the Government for the support given during and after the burial.

“We appreciate all that has been done towards this funeral by the Government. It is unfortunate my uncle died when he was alone in his flat and without a wife or child due to the torture he experienced during the liberation struggle,” he said.

Cde Godffrey Savanhu, who was Cde Washington Malianga’s assistant in Zambia said the latter escaped a bomb attack when a photocopier that was sent to their offices in Zambia was intercepted by Rhodesian forces who placed a bomb in it.

He said the incident occurred after the Battle of Chinhoyi and as a result a Zambian and a white-man were killed when they were test-running the copier.

“The incident occurred at a time when whites were specialising in parcel bombs,” he said.

Cde Washington Malianga played a pivotal role during the formation of the Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (Zanla), the military wing of Zanu in which he was the Secretary of Publicity and Information.

Afterwards, he became a member of the Dare reChimurenga up to a point when he was constrained by health issues.

Cde Malianga’s contribution to the liberation of Zimbabwe started around 1947, when he became a member of the CAWU of which he was the first secretary general, and then became the chairman.

He was among the founding members of Zanu at its formation in August 1963, and was elected the party’s publicity secretary at the Gwelo Congress in May 1964.

When it became imminent that Zanu and the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC), which had replaced Zapu were going to be banned, Cde Malianga left the country together with Cde Herbert Chitepo and others, served as members of the Zanu Revolutionary Council from 1964.

He was to become a member of the Dare reChimurenga until he resigned from his post in 1973 due to ill health.