Mohadi Square unveiled In Beitbridge

The Beitbridge Municipality has announced plans to honour Vice-President Kembo Mohadi by establishing a dedicated square in the town's central business district, to be named Mohadi Square or KCD Square.

The new square will be situated at the parking area along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street, just east of its intersection with Emmerson Mnangagwa Road. Spanning approximately 80 metres in length and 30 metres on either side of the street, the square will stretch from the old police station and watchtower site to the current location of the Beitbridge Rural District Council offices and the National Railways of Zimbabwe Pension Fund building.

Town Clerk Loud Ramakgapola revealed that the initiative aims to celebrate Vice-President Mohadi's enduring legacy and his significant ties to Beitbridge.

"His figure is an integral part of Beitbridge's history as a town. You may be aware that he also worked for this same local authority in early Zimbabwe," Ramakgapola said.
"I have already spoken to him, hinting on our plan as a town. This is to ensure his life is celebrated as one of the biggest political figures to emerge from our town and district. Obviously, his statue will ensure his life is visible to generations even long after our lives."

The municipality plans to submit a proposal to erect a statue of Mohadi overlooking the square at a suitable location.

Local businessman Beji Muleya expressed the view that had Beitbridge been developed more systematically, Mohadi's statue would ideally be placed at the town's core.

"As it is, our town was built haphazardly. Such a statue needs to be put in the heart of the town or in the CBD or Civic Centre," he commented.

Former mayor Munyaradzi Chitsunge suggested an alternative location for the statue at the traffic circle where Harare and Bulawayo roads meet in Beitbridge.

Born Dugish Campbell Mohadi on November 15, 1949, in Mtetengwa village about 25 km west of Beitbridge, Mohadi is a prominent war veteran and former army colonel with deep roots in Matabeleland South province. He joined the liberation struggle under the Zimbabwe African People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), the military wing of Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU.

Trained by Russia's KGB and in Egypt, Mohadi played a critical logistics role, delivering military equipment to the front lines during the liberation war. After independence, he extended support to South Africa's Umkhonto weSizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress.

Mohadi's political career in Beitbridge is notable for his undefeated record in elections since 1985 when he first became Member of Parliament. His political stature rose further when he was appointed Vice-President following the 2017 military intervention that led to the ousting of former President Robert Mugabe.

The creation of Mohadi Square and the proposed statue signify Beitbridge's recognition of Vice-President Mohadi's contributions to the town, the province, and the nation.