News / Local
Mugabe to grace Nkomo statue unveiling
07 Dec 2013 at 02:49hrs | Views
THE government yesterday released the programme for the official unveiling of the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo's statue at the intersection of Main Street and 8th Avenue in Bulawayo on December 22.
The unveiling of the statue will coincide with the renaming of Main Street after the late Father Zimbabwe and the official opening of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport's new terminal.
President Mugabe will grace the grand occasion, which is expected to attract a large audience and leave a lasting impression on the legacy of the late veteran nationalist.
A delegation of senior government officials headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Munesu Munodawafa and his Local Government, Public Works and National Housing counterpart, Killian Mupingo, visited the city yesterday to finalise preparations for the conclusion of the three projects.
A meeting was held at the airport in the morning after which the delegation visited the site of the statue in the city centre. They discussed the programme for the day, which is expected to start at the airport and end with the unveiling of the statue.
"Preparations are on course and we are ahead of time. Our instruction is that the commissioning of the three projects will coincide with Unity Day on December 22," Munodawafa told Chronicle.
He added: "We understand the President will grace the occasion and our planning is in that order. This is Zimbabwe's way of saying thank you to a great man, a national hero and a signatory to the 1987 Unity Accord."
Munodawafa said the significance of the event was that it would be presided over by a befitting man, President Mugabe.
"This is part of our history and what a great way of cherishing that history with another great man President Mugabe officiating at the event. These are the leaders of our country," he said.
During the tour, the delegation discussed the major highlights of the day such as colourful displays, marches and speeches. Paul Damasane from the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture said the programme would be punctuated by lots of entertainment in the form of dance and music by different local artistes.
The delegation assessed the giant neatly decorated pedestal which bears inscriptions of VP Nkomo's names in four directions, Umdala Wethu in the west, Ramatsatsi in the south, Father Zimbabwe in the north and Chibwechitedza in the east.
The engineers in charge of mounting the statue said they would erect it five days before official unveiling. Provincial administrator Khonzani Ncube, city council officials, members of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo National Foundation, representatives from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the police and army were part of the delegation.
The news on the erection of the statue for the late Father Zimbabwe is set to excite members of the public who have anxiously waited for the completion of the project.
Dr Nkomo's statue was erected in 2010 and pulled down before its official unveiling after Bulawayo residents and the Nkomo family complained that the dimensions of the initial pedestal did not capture the attributes of the late Father Zimbabwe in full.
Dr Nkomo died on July 1, 1999, and was accorded National Hero status. The erection of his statue is in memory of his illustrious works and contributions to the liberation of the country and its development after independence.
The unveiling of the statue will coincide with the renaming of Main Street after the late Father Zimbabwe and the official opening of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport's new terminal.
President Mugabe will grace the grand occasion, which is expected to attract a large audience and leave a lasting impression on the legacy of the late veteran nationalist.
A delegation of senior government officials headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Munesu Munodawafa and his Local Government, Public Works and National Housing counterpart, Killian Mupingo, visited the city yesterday to finalise preparations for the conclusion of the three projects.
A meeting was held at the airport in the morning after which the delegation visited the site of the statue in the city centre. They discussed the programme for the day, which is expected to start at the airport and end with the unveiling of the statue.
"Preparations are on course and we are ahead of time. Our instruction is that the commissioning of the three projects will coincide with Unity Day on December 22," Munodawafa told Chronicle.
He added: "We understand the President will grace the occasion and our planning is in that order. This is Zimbabwe's way of saying thank you to a great man, a national hero and a signatory to the 1987 Unity Accord."
Munodawafa said the significance of the event was that it would be presided over by a befitting man, President Mugabe.
"This is part of our history and what a great way of cherishing that history with another great man President Mugabe officiating at the event. These are the leaders of our country," he said.
During the tour, the delegation discussed the major highlights of the day such as colourful displays, marches and speeches. Paul Damasane from the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture said the programme would be punctuated by lots of entertainment in the form of dance and music by different local artistes.
The delegation assessed the giant neatly decorated pedestal which bears inscriptions of VP Nkomo's names in four directions, Umdala Wethu in the west, Ramatsatsi in the south, Father Zimbabwe in the north and Chibwechitedza in the east.
The engineers in charge of mounting the statue said they would erect it five days before official unveiling. Provincial administrator Khonzani Ncube, city council officials, members of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo National Foundation, representatives from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the police and army were part of the delegation.
The news on the erection of the statue for the late Father Zimbabwe is set to excite members of the public who have anxiously waited for the completion of the project.
Dr Nkomo's statue was erected in 2010 and pulled down before its official unveiling after Bulawayo residents and the Nkomo family complained that the dimensions of the initial pedestal did not capture the attributes of the late Father Zimbabwe in full.
Dr Nkomo died on July 1, 1999, and was accorded National Hero status. The erection of his statue is in memory of his illustrious works and contributions to the liberation of the country and its development after independence.
Source - Chronicle
