Although Tekere had declared that he did not want to be buried among “thieves and crooks”, Didymus Mutasa and others successfully pushed for the veteran politician to be buried at a place reserved for cadres who have been unwavering in their support of President Robert Mugabe.
Tekere wasn’t. In fact, he was an arch-critic of Mugabe from the days of the liberation struggle up until his death.
The extent of Tekere’s disdain for Mugabe on one hand, and on the other, the President’s open determination to punish him, is laid bare in the national hero’s autobiography, A Lifetime of Struggle.
Published by Sapes Books in January 2007, the book exposed that Mugabe was not only reluctant to lead Zanu PF, but was a coward who had no appetite for waging the liberation struggle.
While there is bitterness in his account, and a begrudging attitude towards Mugabe, who forced Tekere out of both the state and Zanu PF, the late politician revealed the other side of Mugabe that was unknown to many Zimbabweans.
Tekere said Mugabe never campaigned to be leader of Zanu PF. He noted that when he, Enos Nkala and the late Maurice Nyagumbo decided to oust Ndabaningi Sithole from the leadership of Zanu PF while in prison, Mugabe wanted to stick with Sithole.
“He sat silently in the meeting and did not raise a finger. This is when he was appointed head of the party,” remarked Tekere.
Tekere said on their way to Mozambique via the treacherous mountain path in Kaerezi in March 1975, he started doubting Mugabe’s leadership when he intended to tell the fighters that they represented United African Nation Congress instead of Zanu PF.
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And when Rhodesian forces massacred thousands at refuge camps, Chimoio and Nyadzonia, Tekere said Mugabe doubted whether it was worthwhile continuing the struggle.
Tekere said even the then Mozambican President Samora Machel realised that Mugabe was not up to the task of leading the struggle.
