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Zanu-PF UK seeks hero status for John Takaendesa Ushe
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The Zanu-PF District in the United Kingdom has formally requested hero status for the late John Takaendesa Ushe, who passed away in London on May 6 following a period of illness.
Ushe is widely celebrated as the longest-serving employee at any Zimbabwean diplomatic mission, having worked at the Zimbabwe Embassy in the UK for an extraordinary 45 years, including a year as custodian before the official opening of Zimbabwe House in 1981.
In a statement confirming his passing, Zanu-PF UK District Chairman Xavier Zavare described Ushe as "arguably the longest-serving employee ever across all Zimbabwean Missions worldwide," and a central figure in Zimbabwe's diplomatic and political operations abroad.
"Every Ambassador and Government official who worked in London had their induction to Zimbabwe House and UK life from him," said Zavare.
The party's UK branch has submitted a request to the Zanu-PF leadership for him to be posthumously recognised with national hero status, citing his lifetime of service and unwavering commitment to Zimbabwe's liberation struggle and nation-building.
Ushe joined the Zanu-PF London Branch in the mid-1970s, serving under then Chief Representative Ambassador Frederick Shava. He was instrumental in mobilising resources across the UK and Europe during the liberation war, working alongside fellow cadres like Dr Simba Makoni, who was coordinating party activities across Western Europe.
In 1979, he served the party and country during the Lancaster House Conference, a critical negotiation that led to Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.
When Zimbabwe House was officially opened in London later in 1981, Ushe was entrusted with a security and caretaking role, a position he held with distinction under the first High Commissioner to the UK, Robert Zwinoira.
Even after independence, Ushe remained a pillar of the Zanu-PF UK District, offering advisory support, guiding members on party ideology, and playing a leading role in reviving the UK structures in 2012.
"He was a loyal cadre who carried the revolutionary spirit with him throughout his life," said Zavare.
Born on September 17, 1945, in Chivhu, Mashonaland East, Ushe attended Tegwani School before migrating to Europe in the early 1970s in search of further education. He initially settled in the Netherlands and studied at Argo University before relocating to the UK.
It was during his time as a student at Northeast London Polytechnic, where he pursued a Higher National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, that he fully immersed himself in the liberation movement, joining senior party officials such as Ambassador Shava.
His recruitment into Zanu-PF coincided with a critical phase in the liberation struggle, following the temporary lull caused by Henry Kissinger's Détente policy. Ushe quickly rose to prominence in the diaspora mobilisation drive.
Throughout his life, Ushe served with dedication, humility and patriotism, making invaluable contributions to Zimbabwe's liberation, diplomacy, and party politics in the diaspora.
The request for national hero status is now before Zanu-PF's leadership, and supporters in the UK and Zimbabwe are hopeful that his legacy will be formally honoured.
Ushe is widely celebrated as the longest-serving employee at any Zimbabwean diplomatic mission, having worked at the Zimbabwe Embassy in the UK for an extraordinary 45 years, including a year as custodian before the official opening of Zimbabwe House in 1981.
In a statement confirming his passing, Zanu-PF UK District Chairman Xavier Zavare described Ushe as "arguably the longest-serving employee ever across all Zimbabwean Missions worldwide," and a central figure in Zimbabwe's diplomatic and political operations abroad.
"Every Ambassador and Government official who worked in London had their induction to Zimbabwe House and UK life from him," said Zavare.
The party's UK branch has submitted a request to the Zanu-PF leadership for him to be posthumously recognised with national hero status, citing his lifetime of service and unwavering commitment to Zimbabwe's liberation struggle and nation-building.
Ushe joined the Zanu-PF London Branch in the mid-1970s, serving under then Chief Representative Ambassador Frederick Shava. He was instrumental in mobilising resources across the UK and Europe during the liberation war, working alongside fellow cadres like Dr Simba Makoni, who was coordinating party activities across Western Europe.
In 1979, he served the party and country during the Lancaster House Conference, a critical negotiation that led to Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.
When Zimbabwe House was officially opened in London later in 1981, Ushe was entrusted with a security and caretaking role, a position he held with distinction under the first High Commissioner to the UK, Robert Zwinoira.
Even after independence, Ushe remained a pillar of the Zanu-PF UK District, offering advisory support, guiding members on party ideology, and playing a leading role in reviving the UK structures in 2012.
"He was a loyal cadre who carried the revolutionary spirit with him throughout his life," said Zavare.
Born on September 17, 1945, in Chivhu, Mashonaland East, Ushe attended Tegwani School before migrating to Europe in the early 1970s in search of further education. He initially settled in the Netherlands and studied at Argo University before relocating to the UK.
It was during his time as a student at Northeast London Polytechnic, where he pursued a Higher National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, that he fully immersed himself in the liberation movement, joining senior party officials such as Ambassador Shava.
His recruitment into Zanu-PF coincided with a critical phase in the liberation struggle, following the temporary lull caused by Henry Kissinger's Détente policy. Ushe quickly rose to prominence in the diaspora mobilisation drive.
Throughout his life, Ushe served with dedication, humility and patriotism, making invaluable contributions to Zimbabwe's liberation, diplomacy, and party politics in the diaspora.
The request for national hero status is now before Zanu-PF's leadership, and supporters in the UK and Zimbabwe are hopeful that his legacy will be formally honoured.
Source - the herald
