Mugabe alone confers hero status, says Khaya Moyo

Richard Chidza
President Robert Mugabe is the sole authority on the conferment of heroes' status and not the politburo, Zanu-PF national chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo said Thursday

Reacting to allegations that he blocked the conferment of a national hero status on the late Zanu High Command member, Peter Manyani, Khaya Moyo absolved himself.

"The President (Mugabe) declared him a liberation war hero. The politburo does not confer hero's status on anyone," said Khaya Moyo, a senior minister and former Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa.

Zanu-PF insiders had alleged that Khaya Moyo had deliberately stalled in convening a politburo meeting to deliberate and endorse provincial recommendations that Manyani be declared a national hero.

"The decision to accord Manyani national hero status had been made and besides the fact that (party secretary for administration Didymus) Mutasa was incapacitated by illness, he had agreed to the recommendations from the Mashonaland Central province, as well as Harare," a senior party member said.

Party information chief Rugare Gumbo inadvertently confirmed all was not well in Zanu-PF.

"From what I gather, there was a bit of miscommunication and I for one understand the family's frustrations. It is not good, and the situation could have been handled better," Gumbo said. "It would have been much easier if Mutasa was around. There was lack of co-ordination and as for me, I do not know how the decision to deny him national hero status and accord him a liberation war (hero) status was arrived at because I only heard the announcement on radio."

Gumbo confirmed that Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central and Harare provinces had indeed recommended that Manyani be declared a national hero given his stature and contribution to the liberation war.

"Unfortunately, I was not in, but I am sure Mashonaland Central and Harare had recommended that he be accorded national hero status. Mutasa has not been around due to ill health and the national chairperson (Khaya-Moyo) was supposed to handle the issue," Gumbo said.

Manyani's family was reportedly infuriated by the inordinate delays and the final decision to deny the war fighter the national hero's status.

Hero's status is conferred in terms of the National Heroes Act.

In part, the National Heroes Act was enacted to "Provide for the designation of national heroes and the rendering of state assistance to dependants of such heroes; to establish a fund to finance state-assistance to such dependants; to establish the Heroes' dependants".

Part (iii) of the Act under designation of heroes makes it very clear that Mugabe has the sole prerogative to confer hero status on any citizen seen as having been outstanding in deeds; "where the President considers that any deceased person who was a citizen of Zimbabwe has deserved well of his country on account of his outstanding, distinctive and distinguished service to Zimbabwe, he may, by notice in the Gazette, designate such person as a national, provincial or district hero of Zimbabwe".

Over the years, Zanu-PF has been accused of monopolising the National Heroes' Acre by opposition political parties.

Mugabe in turn has called on those who did not agree with his party's stance to find their "own hill".

His party politburo has always convened "to consider the hero status of individuals" whose remains are now interred at the national shrine in Harare.

Manyani died on March 10 at Harare's Parirenyatwa hospital after a long illness aged 84. Manyani joined the liberation struggle in 1972 and was one of the cadres who pioneered the Second Chimurenga.

In 1974, Manyani underwent military training at Mgagao, Tanzania.

During the liberation war, he worked with Mayor Urimbo, Vitalis Zvinavashe, Hebert Chitepo, Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru), Josiah Tungamirai and Josiah Tongogara (all late) in the Zanu Central Committee and High Command.