OUR NATIONAL HERO, GIBSON SIBANDA
BY BEAULAH MASIYANISE

President Robert Mugabe, who has denied hero-status for Gibson Sibanda clearly showed to the world again, his despotic and intolerable leadership. He opted to accord Sibanda with “a state assisted funeral”.
Sibanda is no doubt a National Hero. He was instrumental in the liberation struggle. He was a pillar of struggle for real change. He struggled for a new Zimbabwe and a new beginning. A founding pillar of the Movement for Democratic Change, he fought for justice and national healing. He was the Minister of National Healing in Zimbabwe’s Government of National Unity at the time of his death.

It is not the first time Mugabe has denied a few the National Hero statuses. The founding member of ZANU, Mr Ndabaningi Sithole was also denied.

However, President Mugabe has controversially awarded the National Hero status to “National Villains” rather than National Heros. Border Gezi, a strong ally of Mugabe was in charge of recruiting and organising groups of young Zanu-pf supporters into a militia. The militia groups he lead unleashed violence on supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change, and in invasions of white-owned farms. Chenjerai Hunzvi led the campaign that led to the seizure of white-owned land and violent attacks on supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change. Elliot Manyika, leader of the Zanu-pf terror gangs, had become a symbol of terror in mashonaland West Province. They were repressive machinery, trained and indoctrinated assassins that were accorded with the national hero status by Mr Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe has been robbed of one of its finest leaders. He shall forever live in the hearts of Zimbabweans and let us continue the struggle for a new Zimbabwe and a new beginning.