'Black Jesus' declared a provincial hero

SELF-STYLED war veterans' leader and pioneer of the chaotic land reform exercise in 2000, Francis Zimuto, popularly known as Black Jesus, who died in Gutu on Tuesday has been denied national hero status and instead declared a provincial hero.

Masvingo Zanu-PF provincial chairperson, Amasa Nenjana, on Wednesday said the province had requested the politburo to declare Zimuto a national hero.

But, Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZLWVA) provincial chairperson, Tendeukai Chinooneka yesterday said the party had said Zimuto be buried at the Masvingo Provincial Heroes Acre on Sunday.

"He (Zimuto) has been declared a provincial hero and will be buried at the Masvingo Provincial Heroes Acre on Sunday," Chinooneka said, without elaborating.

Zimuto's relatives said they were not happy with the honour bestowed on him, considering his liberation war efforts and pioneering role in the land redistribution programme.

"We would have expected more from the party because of his sterling record. I think factionalism was at play here," a Zimuto family member, who declined to be named, said.

A fierce critic of First Lady Grace Mugabe, Zimuto, in February this year, sent tongues wagging when he described her as "a young girl", who should concentrate on household chores and stop meddling in Zanu-PF succession politics.