Befitting send off for Cadre

By Margaret Kamba

ZANU PF gave a befitting send-off to one of its own in what many have described as the dead man talking.

Ward 16 in Hwange West was this Wednesday filled with both a sombre but jovial atmosphere as the young men and women along with the elderly saw off the young man who had just returned to the ruling Party and had been part of the returnees whom the President and First Secretary Cde E.D Mnangagwa had welcomed into the fold last Saturday.

The homestead filled with the crowd was a clear testimony of a community that is united.

To the outsiders like some of us, it was clear that death had robbed this community of a key member who was not only a brother, husband, father but much more.

Tears rolling down his widow who was visibly still in shock with the incident, his aged mother who said to me, “my son is gone”, the crying men at the graveyard, the energy of the youth as they sang songs was a message to whoever was feared to have had a hand in his death.

His newly found love for the ruling ZANU PF Party did not augur well with his former colleagues and friends. What did he know that they feared he would tell? It is still a mystery.

However it is clear that his death has brought people together. His move of joining the winning team is a clear revolution on its own because when the altar call was done by the Huyayi Kumusha/Come home/Buyanini Ekhaya KHE team led by Cde Blessing Chebundo and his team, over 100 people ran to the front to join ZANU PF.

If this is not a statement on its own, then whoever watches is blind to the reality of men and women tired of people failing to deliver on their promises.

This is by the way an opposition stronghold where people came in their numbers.

The call by President Mnangagwa for those still in the opposition to come home ans help build their country was definitely loud and clear.

Speaker after speaker took turns to assure the gathered of a ruling Party with a people at heart and which had been saddened by the untimely loss of a new recruit whom they felt still had a long way to go.

His death has done given his contribution to the ruling Party. Death has robbed the family of a father, husband and son.

Death has robbed the Party of a fearless cadre who clearly could not hide from his former colleagues that he had found himself a new love, ZANU PF.

Even in his death, he has managed to preach the gospel of truth, the gospel of prosperity, the gospel of peace, the gospel of unity and the gospel of development.

Speaking at the event DCC Chairman Cde Matthew Muleya said the death of Cde Siyani Sibanda had made it possible for people coming from afar to meet.

“Each person has a purpose in life. If Cde Sibanda had not come to ZANU PF, we would not have seen the leadership here today. You have been given respect and this is how ZANU PF is. The blood of this young man will not go in vain.”

The Central Committee member and Women’s League Deputy Secretary for Environment Cde Siphiwe Mafuwa described the biblical story of the prodigal son as what had happened when Cde Sibanda joined the ruling Party.

“President Mnangagwa said come home and Cde Sibanda came home. He voluntarily came to add value to nation building. When they came, President Mnangagwa held a feast for them so that they would eat with him at the same table.”

The biblical story of the prodigal son shows the compassion of a father to his long lost son who upon making a decision to go back home least expected the welcome he would get. To him, he was going to be content with being a servant in his father’s house but unbeknownst to him, his father would welcome him into his home with a great feast.

Cde Nyaradzo Masoja who was representing the Minister of State for the Province said the Province had been saddened by the loss of a “future leader but are happy that he had come to understand that the country can only be build by its own people.”

She added that a lot of development is occurring in the Province amongst them the Gwayi-Tshangani Dam and Batoka.

Returnees Japhet Moyo highlighted that some of the returnees were branded opposition and “had to assume that title not because they were but it was a means of survival. You were caught in between and we were only trying to survive. We have seen that you cannot pull a cart with a donkey and a cow.”

Jaquiline Ncube said she had been excited about joining ZANU PF and was looking forward to skills development in order to uplift her life.

Present at the funeral was a team from the ZANU PF headquarters, Founders Associates Zimbabwe FAZ, Heritage Trust among others.

About Author