News / National
'A sad year for all of us'
04 Jun 2017 at 20:10hrs | Views
The death of veteran nationalist Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, who succumbed to prostate cancer last week, feels like the robbery of a humble friend, President Mugabe has said. The President said 2017 had so far likely been the saddest for Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe with the passing on of National Heroes' one after the other.
President Mugabe was speaking at Ndlovu's burial at the National Heroes' Acre in Harare yesterday.
"This year has been quite a sad year, probably the saddest for our party and our nation because we have gathered here four times before, this now being our fifth. That was all to bury our National Heroes. He is gone, our dear departed, but we should mourn. Why?
"He was one dear to our hearts. He has created a gap that cannot be filled in the family and in the party. We mourn because he was a friend. We called him NK. That shall not be again.
"I called him ubabazala. Now, I look at those that remain; none of them is fit for me to call ubabazala. They are all youngsters. We, the two of us, were their elders."
Added President Mugabe: "Well, I say, you have gone NK. We shall all follow, but as for those who are still alive, we will look at your deeds, your way of life, the chart that you have left us to walk and follow.
"And I say to those still alive, let us try to be what he was; a loving personality, hardworking personality, a family person, a true revolutionary. That legacy we should pass to our children in the same way he passed (it) on to all of us.
". . . NK was appointed Deputy to the President of the Senate and did his best. A very, very humble person, one who listened to the views of others, to the views of Members of Parliament and the party.
"We would hope that those virtues he has left us will be the virtues we all shall try to have, not just we trying to have, but we pass on to the next generation. Generation after generation will be talking about NK."
The President chronicled events leading to the Lancaster House Conference that preceded Zimbabwe's Independence from British settler colonial rule.
"We were deadlocked on that (land) issue. The Americans heard about our deadlock, chipped in and invited (Joshua) Nkomo and myself, and the American ambassador said, 'Aah, you are deadlocked'.
"We had agreed on every other aspect. 'Why why should your conference fail
on this aspect of compensation (to white farmers)? We shall give additional funds. The American government will give you additional funds and, of course, the American citizens would want to know that this was to compensate the white British persons in your country.'
"I am saying all this because the fights were not just fights by Umdhala wethu uNkomo and myself; we were supported by other leaders like Ndlovu."
Ndlovu was born in Gwatemba, Filabusi on October 22, 1930, and educated at Zezani Secondary School in Beitbridge where he did Standard One and Two. He went back to Gwatemba for Standard Three before proceeding to Wanezi Mission, and later going to Umzingwane Government School to train in leather work.
Ndlovu taught at Zezani School and Matopo Mission in 1950 and 1953, before proceeding to Empandeni Mission. His last teaching job was at Jairos Jiri Training Centre in Bulawayo (1956-1965), at which point he joined politics.
Ndlovu was detained after Ian Smith's infamous Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
He met other luminaries like the late Dr Joshua Nkomo in Bulawayo. Ndlovu became more politically active when the National Democratic Party was banned in 1960 and succeeded by the Zimbabwe African People's Union in 1961.
He was co-opted into Zapu's structures, representing the party's sole Bulawayo district as a committee member.
Ndlovu was influential in the formation of the Bulawayo United Residents Association in 1962, and was the organisation's first chairman, deputised by the late Sydney Malunga with John Nkomo as secretary.
The National Hero was to be the first black councillor for Luveve in 1981, the same year he was elected Bulawayo mayor for a two-year term.
As a councillor and mayor - and with support from then Local Government Minister Eddison Zvobgo - he will be remembered for arranging for sitting tenants who had been renting a particular property for 40 years to buy that house.
People who had been renting homes in Mzilikazi and Makokoba since the early 1940s were given the houses on the basis that they had already paid off the money through rentals.
Houses were built in Emakhandeni, Entumbane and Nkulumane, with people calling them "Zvobgo houses".
In 1985, Ndlovu contested the Insiza Parliamentary constituency, a seat he won then and held until June 2000.
During his term as MP, he lobbied Government to build clinics, schools, roads and dams and to rehabilitate irrigation schemes in his constituency.
Ndlovu is survived by wife Sithokozile and two children
President Mugabe was speaking at Ndlovu's burial at the National Heroes' Acre in Harare yesterday.
"This year has been quite a sad year, probably the saddest for our party and our nation because we have gathered here four times before, this now being our fifth. That was all to bury our National Heroes. He is gone, our dear departed, but we should mourn. Why?
"He was one dear to our hearts. He has created a gap that cannot be filled in the family and in the party. We mourn because he was a friend. We called him NK. That shall not be again.
"I called him ubabazala. Now, I look at those that remain; none of them is fit for me to call ubabazala. They are all youngsters. We, the two of us, were their elders."
Added President Mugabe: "Well, I say, you have gone NK. We shall all follow, but as for those who are still alive, we will look at your deeds, your way of life, the chart that you have left us to walk and follow.
"And I say to those still alive, let us try to be what he was; a loving personality, hardworking personality, a family person, a true revolutionary. That legacy we should pass to our children in the same way he passed (it) on to all of us.
". . . NK was appointed Deputy to the President of the Senate and did his best. A very, very humble person, one who listened to the views of others, to the views of Members of Parliament and the party.
"We would hope that those virtues he has left us will be the virtues we all shall try to have, not just we trying to have, but we pass on to the next generation. Generation after generation will be talking about NK."
The President chronicled events leading to the Lancaster House Conference that preceded Zimbabwe's Independence from British settler colonial rule.
"We were deadlocked on that (land) issue. The Americans heard about our deadlock, chipped in and invited (Joshua) Nkomo and myself, and the American ambassador said, 'Aah, you are deadlocked'.
"We had agreed on every other aspect. 'Why why should your conference fail
on this aspect of compensation (to white farmers)? We shall give additional funds. The American government will give you additional funds and, of course, the American citizens would want to know that this was to compensate the white British persons in your country.'
"I am saying all this because the fights were not just fights by Umdhala wethu uNkomo and myself; we were supported by other leaders like Ndlovu."
Ndlovu was born in Gwatemba, Filabusi on October 22, 1930, and educated at Zezani Secondary School in Beitbridge where he did Standard One and Two. He went back to Gwatemba for Standard Three before proceeding to Wanezi Mission, and later going to Umzingwane Government School to train in leather work.
Ndlovu taught at Zezani School and Matopo Mission in 1950 and 1953, before proceeding to Empandeni Mission. His last teaching job was at Jairos Jiri Training Centre in Bulawayo (1956-1965), at which point he joined politics.
Ndlovu was detained after Ian Smith's infamous Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
He met other luminaries like the late Dr Joshua Nkomo in Bulawayo. Ndlovu became more politically active when the National Democratic Party was banned in 1960 and succeeded by the Zimbabwe African People's Union in 1961.
He was co-opted into Zapu's structures, representing the party's sole Bulawayo district as a committee member.
Ndlovu was influential in the formation of the Bulawayo United Residents Association in 1962, and was the organisation's first chairman, deputised by the late Sydney Malunga with John Nkomo as secretary.
The National Hero was to be the first black councillor for Luveve in 1981, the same year he was elected Bulawayo mayor for a two-year term.
As a councillor and mayor - and with support from then Local Government Minister Eddison Zvobgo - he will be remembered for arranging for sitting tenants who had been renting a particular property for 40 years to buy that house.
People who had been renting homes in Mzilikazi and Makokoba since the early 1940s were given the houses on the basis that they had already paid off the money through rentals.
Houses were built in Emakhandeni, Entumbane and Nkulumane, with people calling them "Zvobgo houses".
In 1985, Ndlovu contested the Insiza Parliamentary constituency, a seat he won then and held until June 2000.
During his term as MP, he lobbied Government to build clinics, schools, roads and dams and to rehabilitate irrigation schemes in his constituency.
Ndlovu is survived by wife Sithokozile and two children
Source - zimpapers
