ZUNDE mourns true national hero, Comrade Dzino

Yes, we are all meant to die one day. The only uncertainly is when, how and where. This is a reality none of us can run away from nor deny. Nevertheless, whenever we lose a beloved one, we mourn and wonder why it happened. At times we are left in shock, at times dejectedly asking "why Lord?"

The passing on of Wilfred Mhanda this week, popularly known by his liberation name of Dzinashe Machingura and affectionately called Comrade Dzino by many, is a very sad and irreplaceable loss to the nation at large and Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) in particular.

The history of the liberation will not and cannot be complete without mentioning Dzinashe Machingura and recognising his immense, selfless and fearless contribution. He was also a man of integrity who refused to be used for personal glory and cheap politicks by power mongers, opportunists and imposters before and after independence.

At some point in the early 70's, Comrade Dzino commanded the armed struggle with Solomon Mujuru (Rex Nhongo) as his deputy until he was pushed aside by Mugabe in 1977 on trumped up allegations of rebellion. This is the kind of history that some would rather hide or twist.

Robert Mugabe wanted the glory of the armed struggle which he did not deserve. He did everything to get it and this explains why we are in this terrible mess today.

You cannot fully understand the history of the liberation struggle until and unless you read Wilfred Mhanda's original account as told in his book "Dzino – Memories of a Freedom Fighter". One does not need to resort to stories narrated by British or American writers to understand the true and correct account of the history of our liberation struggle.

At ZUNDE, we are not bothered at all whether Comrade Dzino will be declared a national hero or not through the shameless process used by ZANU PF and its compromised Politburo. What we know is that Dzino is a man who earned his national hero status through his immense contribution that cannot be undone by a few unscrupulous men and women. Even an instruction issued from State House or some place in Singapore will not wipe off his history that is solidly engraved on our hearts. Dzino is a true and genuine national hero. Period.

We call upon progressive and well-meaning Zimbabweans at home and in the Diaspora to reflect on the life of this gallant son of the soil and celebrate his contribution to our independence. As he sadly but humbly departs, we have no doubt that he has a wound on his heart that will never heal. The Zimbabwe he leaves behind is certainly not the one he fought for. He strongly believed in peace, democracy and good governance which are the pillars on which Zimbabwe Liberators Platform (ZLP) is founded. He was a founder of the organisation that brings together true, genuine and moderate liberators.

Comrade Dzino shied away from the politics of sycophancy, self-aggrandisement, corruption, violence and entitlement. As a result, he did not "enjoy" the "benefits" of patronage but, as Eddison Zvobgo rightly said "I can compromise on anything as long as it is not a matter of principle". Dzino was in that mould.

May the nation give a befitting send-off to this true hero and may his soul rest in eternal peace. To his family, friends and colleagues, our simple message is that we shall march together until what Dzino fought for is achieved. To you Cde Dzino, we say "Your hopes and aspirations shall be realised one day. At the right time, we shall honour you with all the accolades that you deserve. You have departed at a time we needed you most. You shall continue to inspire us. You deserve a better world".