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ELLINA Mnkandla Moyo, the wife of the late veteran nationalist Jason Ziyapapa Moyo, was buried last week without any state assistance.
The development has riled the family of the Zipra stalwart and his former PF Zapu colleagues who accuse Zanu PF of double standards.
Moyo’s death came less than a month after the late Zanu first vice-president Leopold Takawira’s wife, Sunny, was buried at the Heroes’ Acre after she was declared a national heroine.
Retired Colonel Thomas Ngwenya, a former Zipra commander and a spokesperson for the Moyo family, said no single Zanu PF official attended the burial at West Park cemetery.
“The passing on of our dear mother has left us as a family with many questions about the people of this region,” said Ngwenya on Friday.
“It is disturbing that Zanu PF and other arms of government did not bother providing us with assistance in our time of need.”
This is not the first time Zanu PF has dithered when it comes to awarding hero status to former Zapu and Zipra veterans.
Several of them including Zipra commander, Lookout Masuku, were only given recognition long after their burials.
Last year former Zipra intelligence chief Dumiso Dabengwa led a Zapu breakaway from Zanu PF protesting against the skewed implementation of their Unity Accord.
Ngwenya said they had to proceed with the burial without government assistance because they risked incurring more costs.
“There was no communication with the family. So we decided to lay our mother to rest and then look at other things later,” he said.
“We met the costs of the burial as a family. This means that we have to make representations as a family for the government to reimburse us.”
Zapu spokesperson, Methuseli Moyo said the treatment of Moyo’s widow had vindicated their withdrawal from the Unity Accord.
“This is a simple tale of tribal and regional politics,” he said. “There is no way Ziyapapa Moyo’s wife can be buried at West Park Cemetery while Takawira’s wife, whose contribution to the liberation war is almost the same is buried at the Heroes’ Acre.
“Zanu PF has showed all and sundry that it believes in politics of discrimination and regionalism.
“It is high time Zimbabweans and the people of Matabeleland stand up and challenge this kind of politics.
Zanu PF provincial chairman, Isaac Dakamela, said they were still to meet as a province to deliberate on Moyo’s status.
He said members of the provincial executive were “scattered all over” making it difficult for them to organise a meeting.
Ziyapapa Moyo died during the liberation struggle after he recieved a parcel bomb in Zambia in 1977.
BY NKULULEKO SIBANDA
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