Zapu's request to honour Dabengwa stalls at Coltart led council

A request by the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu) to name a street in Bulawayo after the late liberation icon Dumiso Dabengwa remains unaddressed at the local council offices. The proposal, initially submitted in June 2019 to the then MDC-led council, sought to rename Fife Street in the central business district in honor of Dabengwa, who passed away in May 2019 while traveling from India to Zimbabwe for medical treatment.

Dabengwa, who was 79 at the time of his death, was declared a national hero but chose to be buried alongside his relatives at his Emanxeleni rural home in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North, rather than at the National Heroes Acre, as he had insisted on interment with his family.

Bulawayo's mayor at the time, Solomon Mguni, acknowledged the request and indicated that it was under consideration. However, years later, no decision has been made by the current street naming committee, which is responsible for reviewing and approving such proposals.

Councillor Adrian Rendani Moyo, a member of the street naming committee, informed Southern Eye that the committee has yet to convene to discuss outstanding proposals, including the one for Dabengwa. "The street naming committee is a sub-committee of the town lands and planning committee," he stated. "This committee is yet to sit. Once it does, we shall then look at existing proposals. However, let me add that uBaba uDabengwa is an icon whose stature cannot be ignored."

When asked about the delays in addressing the proposal, Moyo explained that the committee members were elected only last year and had not yet met.

Critics argue that the prolonged inaction raises questions about the council's commitment to honoring Dabengwa's legacy. Several streets in Bulawayo are named after prominent figures in the country's liberation struggle, including Herbert Chitepo, Leopold Takawira, Jason Moyo, and Josiah Tongogara.

Zapu national spokesperson Richard Gandari expressed hope that Dabengwa would eventually be honored. "I will be meeting with the President of Zapu, Sibangilizwe Nkomo, and I'm going to discuss with him about this important issue you have raised," Gandari stated. "The new mayor of Bulawayo, David Coltart, is a progressive man and sympathizes with our party, so efforts to get Dabengwa honored will most likely succeed under his watch."

Dumiso Dabengwa was a key figure in the liberation struggle, serving as the head of Zapu's intelligence department for its military wing, the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA). In 1982, he was charged with treason alongside Zipra commander Lookout Masuku and four others by the then government led by Robert Mugabe. They were acquitted due to lack of evidence in 1983 but were re-detained under emergency regulations and released four years later.

As discussions continue regarding the honorific naming of a street after Dabengwa, many are left awaiting tangible action from the Bulawayo council to recognize his significant contributions to Zimbabwe's independence and liberation.