News / National
Cool Crooner declared a liberation war hero
06 Jul 2017 at 01:22hrs | Views
A FOUNDING member of Jazz group the Cool Crooners Abel Sinomotsi Sithole who died on Sunday, has been declared a liberation war hero and will be buried tomorrow at the Bulawayo Provincial Heroes Acre.
Sithole died at the age of 82 at Mpilo Central Hospital where he had been admitted for two weeks after suffering a stroke.
Bulawayo war veterans chairman Cephas Ncube said a church service will be held at the late liberation war hero's home at 17 Sotshangane Flats in Nguboyenja suburb in the morning before burial.
Born on June 4 in a family of seven, Sithole started his music career when he joined a musical group The Golden Rhythm Crooners. It was through this group that they raised funds for political organisations around the country. The group was also popular outside the country's borders with revolutionaries as they toured Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire at that time) in 1958.
They also toured Malawi as well as Tanzania in 1961.
In Tanzania they met armed struggle leaders that included President Mugabe and his late wife Sally Mugabe, Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, Joseph Msika and Leopold Takawira.
Sithole then joined the struggle in 1967 and was part of the African National Congress (ANC), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).
Meanwhile, another war veteran Matshingelani Nyathi who also died on Sunday at his home at Killspring Farm in the West Acre area at the age of 56, will also be buried at the Bulawayo Provincial heroes Acre tomorrow.
A founding member of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Nyathi, joined the liberation war in 1976.
He was trained at Mboma Camp in Zambia in 1977.
After demobilisation in 1983, he joined the National Railways of Zimbabwe the following year as a manager and rose through the ranks until he retired in 2015 as a records management officer.
Mourners are gathered at 607045/14 Sizinda Flats in Bulawayo where a church service would be held in the morning before burial.
Sithole died at the age of 82 at Mpilo Central Hospital where he had been admitted for two weeks after suffering a stroke.
Bulawayo war veterans chairman Cephas Ncube said a church service will be held at the late liberation war hero's home at 17 Sotshangane Flats in Nguboyenja suburb in the morning before burial.
Born on June 4 in a family of seven, Sithole started his music career when he joined a musical group The Golden Rhythm Crooners. It was through this group that they raised funds for political organisations around the country. The group was also popular outside the country's borders with revolutionaries as they toured Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire at that time) in 1958.
They also toured Malawi as well as Tanzania in 1961.
In Tanzania they met armed struggle leaders that included President Mugabe and his late wife Sally Mugabe, Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, Joseph Msika and Leopold Takawira.
Meanwhile, another war veteran Matshingelani Nyathi who also died on Sunday at his home at Killspring Farm in the West Acre area at the age of 56, will also be buried at the Bulawayo Provincial heroes Acre tomorrow.
A founding member of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Nyathi, joined the liberation war in 1976.
He was trained at Mboma Camp in Zambia in 1977.
After demobilisation in 1983, he joined the National Railways of Zimbabwe the following year as a manager and rose through the ranks until he retired in 2015 as a records management officer.
Mourners are gathered at 607045/14 Sizinda Flats in Bulawayo where a church service would be held in the morning before burial.
Source - chronicle
