Zanu-PF Masvingo wants hero status for Mukanduri
George Maponga in Masvingo
Zanu-PF Masvingo has formally requested the ruling party’s national leadership to confer national hero status on freedom fighter and Zaka East National Assembly member Cde Samson Tapera Mukanduri.
Cde Mukanduri, who was also the party’s provincial secretary for education died at his rural home in Chiromo Village after complaining of high blood pressure early Monday morning. He was 65.
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairman Cde Ezra Chadzamira yesterday confirmed that the province had written to Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu, requesting national hero status for Cde Mukanduri.
“We have applied to the national party leadership for Cde Mukanduri to be declared a national hero because of the role he played during the liberation struggle and the work he did for the country after independence,” said Cde Chadzamira.
Masvingo provincial secretary for administration Cde Raymond Takavarasha, who sent the letter to Cde Mpofu yesterday, said Dr Mukanduri was provincial secretary for education since 2008. In their condolences messages, several ruling party leaders in Masvingo expressed shock at his untimely demise.
They described the late Cde Mukanduri as an exemplary leader, whose death had robbed the people of Zaka and Masvingo Province of a humble leader, who had left a very big void in the party.
Cde Mukanduri was born in Chiromo Village, Zaka and attended Chiromo Lower Primary School before proceeding to Chitiyo Upper Primary School between 1963 and 1966.
He then enrolled at Mashoko Secondary School from 1967 to 1969 and did his A-Levels at Ranch House College in Harare between 1970 and 1974.He joined the liberation struggle in 1976 and did his military training at Mgagao in Tanzania. He proceeded to Mozambique, where he did a security and intelligence course at Chaminuka Camp.
Cde Mukanduri was deployed to Chindunduma at Matenje base in Tete Province as the security commander and was also involved in the teaching of O and A-Level Geography classes.
He retired from Government in 2007 and contested and won the Zaka East National Assembly seat on a Zanu-PF ticket in 2008. He also continued to advance his education after Independence and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Political Science and Administration from the University of Zimbabwe in 1988. He attained a Masters in Public Administration at Pacific Western University in 1989, before graduating with a PHD at the same university in 1992. He is survived by his wife and four children.
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