News / National
Late Washington Malianga gets state assisted funeral
25 Jun 2014 at 09:17hrs | Views
Former Zanu information czar and founding member, Washington Malianga who died in Harare this week will get a state assisted funeral, party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said yesterday.
In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail Tuesday, Gumbo said Malianga was "one of the staunchest" supporters of the liberation struggle.
"He was one of the founding members of the National Democratic Party (NDP), and when Zapu was formed he became part of it," said Gumbo. "After the 1963 break-away that led to the formation of Zanu, Malianga went with the new party and became its secretary for information and publicity from 1971-73".
Gumbo said Malianga will be buried at Harare's Warren Hills cemetery on Wednesday.
Malianga a sibling to another liberation stalwart Morton reportedly left politics after a failed bid to land the party secretary general's post to President Robert Mugabe in 1973.
However Gumbo said Malianga's participation in the twilight and most important phase of the struggle was due to ill-health.
"He had problems with his health and that is why even after independence he did not take much interest in politics but retreated into private life. He joined politics from the trade union movement in particular the Commercial Workers Union and contributed greatly to the war effort," Gumbo added.
He also served as Zapu secretary general in 1961 before the formation of Zanu two year later. Zanu PF Manicaland chairman John Mvundura earlier in the day said he had not received any request from the party's structures to declare Malianga a national hero.
In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail Tuesday, Gumbo said Malianga was "one of the staunchest" supporters of the liberation struggle.
"He was one of the founding members of the National Democratic Party (NDP), and when Zapu was formed he became part of it," said Gumbo. "After the 1963 break-away that led to the formation of Zanu, Malianga went with the new party and became its secretary for information and publicity from 1971-73".
Gumbo said Malianga will be buried at Harare's Warren Hills cemetery on Wednesday.
However Gumbo said Malianga's participation in the twilight and most important phase of the struggle was due to ill-health.
"He had problems with his health and that is why even after independence he did not take much interest in politics but retreated into private life. He joined politics from the trade union movement in particular the Commercial Workers Union and contributed greatly to the war effort," Gumbo added.
He also served as Zapu secretary general in 1961 before the formation of Zanu two year later. Zanu PF Manicaland chairman John Mvundura earlier in the day said he had not received any request from the party's structures to declare Malianga a national hero.
Source - The Zim Mail
