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President Mugabe greets the son of the late Vice President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo,Sibangilizwe at the official opening of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo yesterday

Bulawayo Bureau
THE family of the late Vice President, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, was yesterday ecstatic about the honours bestowed on their father following the commissioning of three projects in his name in Bulawayo.President Mugabe officiated at the unveiling of Dr Nkomo’s statue, which coincided with the renaming of Main Street after the veteran nationalist and liberation war icon, and the commissioning of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.

In her remarks Dr Nkomo’s daughter, Mrs Thandiwe Nkomo-Ibrahim, said the family was proud of their father and humbled by the respect and honour accorded him by the entire nation.

“We have all waited a long time to witness this great day, but I am sure we can all sit here today and agree that the long wait has been well worth it,” she said.

Mrs Nkomo-Ibrahim added: “As a family, we sincerely express our gratitude to everyone who was involved in turning this dream into reality.”

The Nkomo family paid tribute to President Mugabe for leading the nation in honouring Dr Nkomo and immortalising his legacy. Mrs Nkomo-Ibrahim said the three projects would remain symbols of Zimbabwe’s freedom and sovereignty, which came through a blood-bought liberation struggle.

“Today Big Josh is loudly proclaiming to the world, saying ‘move over John Cecil Rhodes, this is the land of our ancestors and I, Big Josh, will stand guard over it,’” she said, adding:

“Welcome home wena okaNyongolo, now you can symbolically live among us . . . Welcome Mafukufuku omuhle,” she said as the crowd cheered.

Dr Nkomo’s young brother, Mr Edward Nkomo, delivered an emotional speech in which he chronicled the national hero’s history and how he joined politics in the 1950s, working for the nation until his death on July 1, 1999.

He said the family was happy that after Dr Nkomo was declared a national hero in 1999, Government saw it fit to champion projects in his memory.

“Today, Your Excellency, you have endowed on him a triple recognition and honour, through the renaming after him of the airport and the former Main Street,” said Nkomo.

“You have exceeded our expectations by going on to sanction the construction, erection and unveiling of a magnificent and enduring monument to his memory. “For that, Your Excellency, the Nkomo family extends its sincere and profound gratitude.”

Dr Nkomo’s son, Sibangilizwe Nkomo, said the family was proud that the country had continued to revere his father’s legacy.
“By this honour, you have inscribed with indelible ink, the memory of Joshua Nkomo, not only in Zimbabwe, but for the whole world,” he said.

He ended with a famous quote from one of Dr Nkomo’s speeches: “Having defeated the evil as a people, it is our duty to rebuild Zimbabwe as one people. “The struggle for economic independence can indeed be more difficult than the struggle for political independence.
“It needs thorough planning, controlled discipline, unity of purpose and above all, direction and hard work.”