Philemon Ncube Mabuza: Death and Funeral Service of War Veteran

Over the last few days there have been snippets and incomplete information on the life and death of Philemon Ncube Mabuza, a veteran of Zimbabwe's struggle and war for independence. This stalwart of the liberation struggle passed away unexpectedly in the early hours of Tuesday, 18 March 2014.

Philemon Ncube Mabuza was born in Ratanyana in Matobo District in Matebeleland South Province. He started his education at Ratanyane Primary School and went on to complete primary education at Wanezi Mission in 1956. He was keen to continue his education, and that took him to Zambia where he intended to do extended study in Economics, but this was overtaken by the fast pace of  developments as volunteers were called to join the armed struggle following Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Comrade Mabuza was sent for military training in Cuba in 1966. Upon his return he spent time in different camps, among them the Kaluwa Alliance Camp which also housed fighters of Umkhonto WeSizwe (MK) military wing of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa.

In 1969 Comrade Mabuza was part of a 30-strong battalion of guerrillas that crossed into Zimbabwe and engaged enemy forces in the Hwange Area. After a series of skirmishes this contingent broke up and Comrade Mabuza and five others survived attacks from helicopters until they ended up across the border in Botswana where they were briefly detained before crossing back into Zambia. He was then deployed in the Zambezi Valley.

In the early 1970s there was turbulence in the liberation movements, and in ZAPU this took the form of rifts among the top leadership based in Lusaka. This affected the armed wing, leading to the arrest and detention of cadres who had taken over the main premises and establishments of ZAPU in March 1971. This is a significant event in the life of Philemon Mabuza following the cadre conference in Mboroma in eastern Zambia, because he was one of forty two detained by the Zambian government in agreement with the Liberation Committee of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union.

Upon his release from detention in Zambia, Philemon Mabuza was sent to the United Kingdom of Great Britain where he studied at the Middlesex Polytechnic (now Middlesex University) for a Diploma in Industrial Relations and Trade Union Studies (1974-1975). He later studied for a Bachelor of Science Arts in Social Science with Economics Degree at the same institution (1976-1979). He met and married Thandi Mkandla, a union that produced three daughters and two sons. He returned to Zimbabwe in 1981 and worked for the National Railways of Zimbabwe where he rose to the level of Station Manager.   He went into livestock farming and was running a family business in the food industry. At the time of his death Philemon Mabuza was the ZAPU Matebeleland South Chairman of the National Peoples Council (NPC), the party's final authority between Congresses.

 He will be greatly missed for his exemplary dedication to work and family. His calm demeanour, good listening skills and readiness to accede to reasonable proposals masked a strong will and bravery against all odds. (Those who spoke to Mabuza even a few days before he passed away could never have believed he was so ill because of the gentle speech and characteristic optimism in difficult situations).  He is survived by his widow and the five children.

Mourners are gathered at No 1 Ashton Road, off Friendly Close in Four Winds. He will be put to rest at the Lady Stanley Cemetery on Saturday 22 March 2014.