News / Local
Zapu celebrates Lesabe
21 Feb 2021 at 07:03hrs | Views
ZAPU is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the death of firebrand politician Thenjiwe Lesabe, whom it described a leading light in Zimbabwe's fight for independence.
Lesabe, who died aged 79 in February 2011, was denied heroine status by the Zanu-PF politburo on grounds that she had defected to Zapu led by Dumiso Dabengwa.
Instead, she was given a state-assisted burial and was interred at her Fort Rixon farm in Insiza, Matabeleland South province. Zapu's women league overseer Theresa Taka Mafu described Lesabe as one of the pillars of the party before and after independence till she passed away.
"The party remains poor without her," Mafu said.
"When others went for fortune during Zapu's darkest hours of the 80s, Lesabe remained with the people in Zapu and decided to be with the people again in 2009 when she left Zanu-PF during the revival of Zapu.
"While in Zambia the party occasionally assigned her to foreign missions in countries in Asia, USA, Latin America, Europe and African countries to appeal for assistance for Zapu and her appeals were also on behalf of other authentic liberation movements such as ANC of South Africa and Namibia's Swapo."
Lesabe, who died aged 79 in February 2011, was denied heroine status by the Zanu-PF politburo on grounds that she had defected to Zapu led by Dumiso Dabengwa.
Instead, she was given a state-assisted burial and was interred at her Fort Rixon farm in Insiza, Matabeleland South province. Zapu's women league overseer Theresa Taka Mafu described Lesabe as one of the pillars of the party before and after independence till she passed away.
"When others went for fortune during Zapu's darkest hours of the 80s, Lesabe remained with the people in Zapu and decided to be with the people again in 2009 when she left Zanu-PF during the revival of Zapu.
"While in Zambia the party occasionally assigned her to foreign missions in countries in Asia, USA, Latin America, Europe and African countries to appeal for assistance for Zapu and her appeals were also on behalf of other authentic liberation movements such as ANC of South Africa and Namibia's Swapo."
Source - the standard
