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Thousands bid farewell to Minister Mukonoweshuro
Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC)
August 11, 2011
Thousands of mourners today thronged Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare
to bid farewell to Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro who died
in South Africa on Friday.
Professor Mukonoweshuro
was the Minister of Public Service, a member of the MDC National
Executive Committee where he was the Secretary of Energy and Power
Development and the MP for Gutu South.
He died at Milpark Hospital
in South Africa after a short illness.
Addressing mourners,
President Tsvangirai described Professor Mukonoweshuro as a distinct
hero who was resilient and steadfast in his fight for democratic
and real change.
"I feel very heartbroken
as Mukonoweshuro was one of Zimbabwe's finest sons,"
said President Tsvangirai.
"Today is the National
Heroes' Day, a day to commemorate those who fought to free
Zimbabwe and it is befitting that today we are burying a distinct
person. A person who showed commitment, courage and had a vision
not only for the community but the whole nation," said President
Tsvangirai.
He said for him the death
of Professor Mukonoweshuro was tragic as the minister was one of
his top advisors and confidante who was always ready to carry out
an assignment as given.
President Tsvangirai
said Professor Mukonoweshuro showed that he was a person committed
in assisting the disadvantaged which is why he contested and won
the parliamentary election for the Gutu South constituency in Masvingo
in the March
2008 elections.
"This shows his
humility and the unwavering support he had in his quest to see real
change for the people of not only Gutu, but the nation as a whole."
The funeral was attended
by several ministers from both the MDC and Zanu PF, senior MDC officials,
MPs, mayors, councillors and senior government officials.
Professor Mukonoweshuro
was born on 22 June 1953 at Gutu Mission Hospital. He did his primary
at Gutu primary school and went to Zimuto and Tekwane for his secondary
education.
In 1973 he went
to the University
of Zimbabwe but was arrested for student activism. He was detained
for 14 months at Kadoma Prison. On his release, Professor Mukonweshuro
left the country through Botswana for the United Kingdom.
In the UK, he studied
for Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees before attaining a PhD in
Political Science.
Tanzania, Zambia and
Sierra Leone are some of the countries that he served as a research
fellow. He later went to serve as a visiting professor at the Duke
University, North Carolina, USA.
On his return to Zimbabwe,
Professor Mukonoweshuro lectured at the UZ later becoming the Dean
of Social Studies. At one point, Minister Mukonoweshuro was detained
by State security agents for "inciting student rebellion"
against the Zanu PF regime.
Professor Mukonoweshuro
remains the only person in the history of the UZ to attain a full
professorship directly from being a lecturer. Thousands of senior
government officials, ministers, diplomats, senior politicians and
business leaders were taught by Professor Mukoweshuro at the UZ.
The professor
is survived by his wife, Retsepile and has one son, Bradley Thuso.
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