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Mugabe's Zanu-PF honours Mandela
14 Dec 2013 at 05:48hrs | Views
Zanu-PF yesterday honoured the late South Africa president Nelson Mandela, with a minute of silence being observed before the official opening of the revolutionary party's 14th Annual National People's Conference here.
Mandela, South Africa's first democratically-elected president, died last week and a funeral service for him was held in his country on Monday.
President Mugabe said the death of Mandela, who was 95, was sad.
"A few days ago, on the 5th of December, we lost Nelson Mandela, the founder president of a non-racial South Africa, and a long time comrade in our African struggle," he said.
"As I address you, his body lies in state at Union Buildings, the seat of government of the very country towards whose freedom he gave away 27 precious years of his life. I represented you at the memorial service of this great son of Africa. It was a very sad day indeed, but one made lighter by the great lesson in sacrifice which the late departed incarnated.
He goes down in African history as a doughty fighter for freedom, indeed a freedom fighter who walked a long and painful road to freedom. We hope his ideals for a free and empowered South Africa will continue to guide its leaders and all of us of this continent, today and forever."
The minute of silence was observed also as a show of respect to the nine Zimbabwean national heroes, 180 liberation war and 66 liberation heroes who also passed on this year. On Thursday, the party honoured its 255 heroes with a minute of silence before a Central Committee meeting at Chinhoyi University of Technology's Great Hall.
Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa read out the figures of the departed party members and mentioned the national heroes individually – Cdes John Nkomo, Jevan Maseko, John Mayowe, Jonathan Kanengoni, Mike Karakadzai, Enos Nkala, Kumbirai Kangai, Misheck Tanyanyiwa and Eric Gwanzura who died in Chegutu on Monday.
Gwanzura will be buried at the National Heroes Acre tomorrow.
About 7,000 delegates to the conference rose in silence to honour Mandela and the local heroes. President Mugabe later officially opened the conference.
Mandela, South Africa's first democratically-elected president, died last week and a funeral service for him was held in his country on Monday.
President Mugabe said the death of Mandela, who was 95, was sad.
"A few days ago, on the 5th of December, we lost Nelson Mandela, the founder president of a non-racial South Africa, and a long time comrade in our African struggle," he said.
"As I address you, his body lies in state at Union Buildings, the seat of government of the very country towards whose freedom he gave away 27 precious years of his life. I represented you at the memorial service of this great son of Africa. It was a very sad day indeed, but one made lighter by the great lesson in sacrifice which the late departed incarnated.
He goes down in African history as a doughty fighter for freedom, indeed a freedom fighter who walked a long and painful road to freedom. We hope his ideals for a free and empowered South Africa will continue to guide its leaders and all of us of this continent, today and forever."
The minute of silence was observed also as a show of respect to the nine Zimbabwean national heroes, 180 liberation war and 66 liberation heroes who also passed on this year. On Thursday, the party honoured its 255 heroes with a minute of silence before a Central Committee meeting at Chinhoyi University of Technology's Great Hall.
Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa read out the figures of the departed party members and mentioned the national heroes individually – Cdes John Nkomo, Jevan Maseko, John Mayowe, Jonathan Kanengoni, Mike Karakadzai, Enos Nkala, Kumbirai Kangai, Misheck Tanyanyiwa and Eric Gwanzura who died in Chegutu on Monday.
Gwanzura will be buried at the National Heroes Acre tomorrow.
About 7,000 delegates to the conference rose in silence to honour Mandela and the local heroes. President Mugabe later officially opened the conference.
Source - chronicle
