By Rex Mphisa
A group of Beitbridge businessmen pooled their resources and footed the bill to bring the remains of Andreas Nguluvhe (91) for burial in Beitbridge from Bulawayo.
The late Nguluvhe who died Sunday last week was a brother to Matabeleland South Minister of State For Provincial Affairs and Devolution.
He was declared a Liberation War Hero by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in recogntion of his exploits in Zimbabwe’s war of independence.
Addressing mourners at his brother’s burial Saturday Minister Nguluvhe thanked Beitbridge businessmen for their gesture.
“We as the Nguluvhe family did not pay a cent to have his body brought here. It was Beitbridge businessmen who made contributions to have his remains brought from Bulawayo for which we are grateful as a family,” he said.
“I hope this does not end with us as a family, and hope it was not done because I am a minister but that it should be done to everyone as we are a community together. We should belong to each other and the gesture humbles me,” he said.
“My brother did not have an insurance or funeral policy and $1 800 was required by a funeral parlour which is what the businessmen paid. As a family we later had a donation of tents and furniture from the parlour. This place we are seated was a bush and I was asked just to provide fuel and it was cleared. For this we as a family are grateful,” he said.
He hastened to urge villagers to invest in insurance policies saying these become handy in times of need.
“We must have funeral policies, there is no point in being rich without policies,” Ngulubhe said.
Ziyah News Network established the list of the businessmen who helped bring the late Nguluvhe’s remains as Charles (Terry) Mulohwa, Nkululeko Milidi, Nqobile Ncube (Zimborders), Dzobo, Ngwenya, (Croc Foods), Felix Venge, Hosea Muleya, Tsepang Nyathi, Loadwell Ziyadumah, Beji Muleya, Elias Chibi, Mekia Muyambo, M Muleya, Mr & Mrs Mushipe, Amos Moyo, P Moyo, Oakleigh House Trust School and Tinashe Mabidi.
Meanwhile several speakers at the funeral described the late Nguluvhe as a hardworking citizen who sat on various committees with development agendas.
His cousin Anderson Mapamusa Ndou, who broke down briefly and took time before taking the microphone described how they grew up together and remembered him as a candid hard worker.
“I grew up in their home and people believed we were brothers. He was a candid man, a hard worker who was frank and clean. I have lost, we have lost a good man,” he said.
Beitbridge Rural Ward 5 Councillor Rabson Mbedzi who spoke on behalf of his Ward 3 coleague described Nguluvhe as the encyclopedia of Tshapongwe who focused on development.
“He wanted progress always and was a guide to the Tshapongwe village. He was a positive citizen,” he said.
Headman Chinoni said the late Nguluvhe, a cattle farmer himself, was a keen fighter against cattle rustling.
The Tshapongwe village sits in the vicinity of the Limpooo River where cross-border cattle rustling is rife.
“He wanted development died fighting crime cattle thefts. The crowd here is testimony of his work, good deeds. Lets us learn from him and fight crime in this area,” said Headman Tshinoni in whose area Tshapongwe lies.
Hundreds of people convened at Tshapongwe for his send off.
“The youth must take a leaf from him. Getting a life of 91 years shows discipline and could never have been achieved by taking drugs and substances we see today,” he said.
Beitrbridge West Member of Parliament Thusani Ndou, Senator for Beitbridgd Tambudzani Mohadi, Alfred Makono of the War Eterans Association and several other spakers from Beitbridge praised the self-made freedom fighter who resisted being taken into the Nuli Protected Village the height of the Chimurenga war.
He was later trained on the front to a fully fledged liberation fighter demobilised just after independence from the Zezani Assemby Point which he was drafted into after the War.
Several Beitbridge residents, government workers from different departments, officials from his office in Gwanda, attended the full military funeral.