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Daniel Kachere Herald Reporter
Zanu-PF’s Central Committee member for Mashonaland East Cde Blanco Cosmas Matsangura and the party’s chairman of Gidiratonga Zengeza 4B district Cde Philemon Siyafanana, were buried yesterday at the Harare Provincial Heroes’ Acre.

Speaking at the burial, Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs Minister Miriam Chikukwa said party cadres should desist from rumour-mongering and focus on unity, peace and development.

“The country will never progress well in terms of unity, peace and development as long as people pursue rumour-mongering,” she said.

“Instead of busying ourselves with rumours, it is now time for us to influence each other to do what is best for the development of the country.”

Minister Chikukwa said the two cadres were conferred with provincial hero status owing to the characters they built for themselves through perseverance and determination to fight for the liberation of Zimbabwe.

She urged Zimbabweans to emulate such characteristics which will make them heroes in their families, communities and the nation at large. Cde Matsangura (57) died last Thursday Parirenyatwa Hospital after battling diabetes.

He was born on June 4, 1958 in Chief Makoni’s area in Rusape and was educated at St Monica School.

In 1975, he joined the liberation struggle in Mozambique where he received military training at Chimoio in October 1976.

He was then deployed in Tete province as Platoon Political Commissar in 1977. In 1978, Cde Matsangura was sent for further training in communications at Chingu camp in Romania. On his return, he joined the Zimbabwe National Army as a private in 1980 and retired in 1982.

In 1995, Cde Matsangura became war veterans chairman in Chitungwiza’s Chaminuka district and in February 2 000 he led the war veterans as chairman for the land reform programme in Seke district, Mashonaland East.

He was then elected councillor for Manyame Rural District Council and later became the council chairman.Cde Matsangura was also elected as Zanu-PF’s Seke DCC chairman and became a member of the Land Redistribution Committee in Seke district until he was elected into the party’s Central Committee last year at the 6th Zanu-PF National People’s Congress.

He is survived by his wife Ms Juliet Chiradza and six children.

Cde Siyafanana died on Tuesday at Chitungwiza Central Hospital after a short illness. He was 59.

He was born on June 22, 1956 in Nebeta village in Bikita district and did his standard one to standard six at Boora Primary School.

In 1975, he joined the Zanla forces in Mozambique where he stayed at Chimoio and Chibawawa camps before undergoing military training at Takawira base.

Cde Siyafanana underwent further military training at Nachigweya training centre in Tanzania from 1977 to 1978 before returning to Mozambique where he was assigned to dispatching ammunition and other materials to the Mozambican and Zimbabwean borders. In 1980, he returned to Zimbabwe and stayed at Dzapasi assembly point until he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army as a private in 1981. He served at 2 Brigade headquarters until his retirement in 1984 and pursued an academic career in motor mechanics.

Cde Siyafanana is survived by his wife Ms Virginia Chikondowa and 11 children.