Shamuyarira burial today at Heroes Acre

Veteran nationalist, journalist and politician Nathan Shamuyarira - who died on Wednesday night in Harare - has been declared a national hero and will be buried today at the National Heroes Acre.

The Zanu-PF Politburo member and former Cabinet minister died aged 85 at West End Clinic after a long illness.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa announced the conferment of hero status at Shamuyarira's Harare residence yesterday, just before President Mugabe addressed mourners gathered there.

"The Politburo unanimously accorded Dr Shamuyarira national hero status because of his immense contribution to the liberation struggle and development of the country," he said.

President Mugabe said Shamuyarira was an incorruptible, forthright person.

"There was no equivocation on his part. He knew what he stood for. He had very strong views, but very simple, you couldn't suspect him of any corruption, none at all.

"If ever a nationalist died a poor man, this was Nathan Shamuyarira, but rich of course in his views, rich of course in the history he has bequeathed to us.

"Information, publicity that should talk about our history and give our people nhoroondo yezvakaitika give our people direction kuti tiri vanaani could only come from the likes of revolutionaries like him."

President Mugabe said Shamuyarira handled his Government duties exceptionally well.

"He handled our information department as a revolutionary, knowing that the struggle we had waged was waged to bring peace to the people, knowing that the resources we had fought for were resources that constituted the basis of our national wealth, the wealth of the people and the ideological direction of our party. He gave it all, the socialist dimension he gave it all," he said.

President Mugabe hailed Shamuyarira's wife Dorothy for standing by her husband through the years.

"Ndakava nehurombo hwekuti she has been sitting here, the man doesn't talk right through," he said.

"When a situation like that happens, death is a relief not only to the man who goes, but the wife who remains behind.

"We want to thank her for the good work she has done. She was with Nathan right through, very faithful, vazhinji ngavadzidze from Dora how husbands should be loved."

President Mugabe said the nation should celebrate the hero's life.

"Rather than just be sorrowing and mournful, let's also celebrate what Nathan did and rejoice that this man played a contribution, but certainly we feel for Dora, nehanzvadzi nehama dzese," he said.

The First Lady Grace Mugabe consoled Amai Shamuyarira saying the country stood with her in good and bad times.

"I want to say we have a great man and a hero who sacrificed a lot for the freedom and development of this country," she said.

"I feel pain that Amai Shamuyarira has been left alone, but I want to thank her for standing by her husband during the difficult time.

"I learnt a lot from the couple because they loved each other a lot. Shamuyarira loved his wife from the time they met until he died. We should all learn from them."

Grace Mugabe thanked Shamuyarira for working tirelessly for the betterment of Zimbabweans in general and women in particular.

Shamuyarira's body was yesterday taken to his home town of Chinhoyi, where thousands of people were at hand to pay their last respects.

Arriving shortly before dusk in a helicopter, the body was taken to Cooksey Hall, the traditional last stop for heroes from Mashonaland West before burial.

Amid the singing and dancing in celebration of the life of a hero were also echoes of weeping of multitudes mourning the loss of a father figure. Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman Temba Mliswa said as the most senior political personality in the province, Shamuyarira was "totally incorruptible" and a rare breed of a politician.

"We would like to first thank the President and Government for according hero status to Shamuyarira who is one of the few ministers to resign from Government to concentrate on the party," he said. "This shows that he viewed the party as being supreme."

Mashonaland West Minister of State Faber Chidarikire said Shamuyarira was a fount of wisdom.

Crispen Kadhozo, Shamuyarira's campaign manager in Banket and a colleague for decades, said: "We are at a loss because as a province we have been robbed of a man who had the party and the people at heart."