By Rex Mphisa
THE late Liberation War Hero Andries “Mujamba” Nguluvhe (91) was a courageous freedom fighter who showed resilience against settler rule, Vice President Kembo Mohadi said on Saturday.
“In him Beitbridge, Matabeleland South and the rest of Zimbabwe has lost a son of the soil and the nation stands with him,” said Mohadi in a speech read on his behalf by Actng Director in the President’s office in Matabeleland South Jusa.
He was addressing mourners at the burial of Nguluvhe at his home village of Tshapongwe some 30 kilometres east of Beitbridge.
Mohadi said it was “with deep sense of grief” that he learnt of the passing of Nguluvhe who died last Sunday in Bulawayo.
Nguluvhe was an elder brother to Albert Nguluvhe who is the Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution and incidentally he had to preside over his sibbling funeral in his official and family capacity.
Nguluvhe asked the people in his area to work for themselves and not rely on theft and other criminal activities that rock Beitbridge.
His late brother was a victim of a violent robbery from which he never healed, he said.
“I am pained by that he sold his 25 cattle and was robbed the same night. The people who robbed him hit him and he had that stress until his death. People should learn to work with their hands than resort to crime,” he said.
“You find young men stealing people’s livestock. Leave people’s properties,” said Minister Nguluvhe.
He paid tribute to his late brotger and said he owed him what he is today because he refused to go to school just to herd cattle and see his sibblings educated.
The late Nguluvhe rhen worked in several mines in South Africa and Zimbabwe before joining the armed struggle.
“He did not go outside the country but was trained internally in the front. He was a full freedom fighter who was asked to join others at Zezani Assemby Point because he was a full fighter. He was declared a hero because of his works.”
The late Nguluvhe became a farmer after independence. All speakers said he was pro-development.