'Lady Stanley now Zapu's Heroes' Acre'

ZAPU president and former Zipra intelligence supremo Dumiso Dabengwa yesterday said Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo has become the de facto heroes' cemetery for former Zapu and Zipra cadrés.

Zanu-PF has refused to accord hero status to a number of Zipra or PF-Zapu cadrés resulting in them being interred at Lady Stanley Cemetery.

Lady Stanley was set aside as a burial cemetery for outstanding citizens of Bulawayo.

Luminaries who have been buried at the cemetery include former Zipra commander General Lookout Masuku.

Masuku, whose war credentials cannot be questioned, was at one time deputy commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, deputising the late former Zanla commander General Solomon Mujuru, who died in a mysterious fire in 2011.

Mujuru was unanimously declared a national hero and buried at Heroes' Acre in Harare.

Former-PF Zapu secretary-general and Matabeleland North governor Welshman Mabhena, ex-Zipra senior official Masala Sibanda and former diplomat Isaac Nyathi, Swazini Ndlovu and Ethan Dube, among others, are some of the senior leaders that were buried at Lady Stanley.

The latest Zipra war hero to be buried at Lady Stanley was retired colonel Richard "Gedi Ndlovu" Dube whose remains were interred there on Saturday after a reported snub by Zanu-PF and the military.

"It is true, (late Vice-President Joshua) Nkomo said that when he asked the city council to provide a grave for Masuku, he asked it not to only to make available one grave as others would follow," Dabengwa said.

"He said he was not sure where we would end up with the people (Zanu) we were working with.

"That man (President Robert Mugabe) has been quoted a number of times saying that if you are not Zanu-PF, look for your own heroes' acre."

Dabengwa said Lady Stanley "is where we have resigned ourselves to. We will not ask for anything from them.

"If it wasn't for (Zanu-PF politburo member) Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, we were not going to ask for anything.

"We are not going to ask for anything from anyone," he said.

Historian Pathisa Nyathi said Lady Stanley Cemetery was meant for outstanding citizens of Bulawayo and Matabeleland from across all sectors.

"The place was meant for the burial of outstanding citizens, be it in the education or business sector, among others," he said.

"A portion was also set aside for the Ndebele royal family.

"Some people from Zapu who died before the signing of the Unity Accord and in the view of the party ought to have been declared heroes, were buried there and the first person who comes to mind is Masuku."

Nyathi said there were others who were not declared heroes, but-PF Zapu cadrés felt should have been granted the honour.

"There are actually two groups; those who were declared heroes, but were buried outside the Heroes' Acre, and those that were not declared at all," he said.

"In a way it (Lady Stanley Cemetery) has become a de facto heroes' acre for the people of Bulawayo and Matabeleland," Nyathi said.

"Zanu-PF has made it clear that one has to have participated in the liberation struggle and remained consistent within the party (Zanu-PF).

"If at some point one went on to form another party, in their eyes, they are no longer a hero."