shloboe boe
Harare Bureau
NATIONAL Heroes Major General (Retired) Solomon Siziba and Cde Chenhamo “Chen” Chakezha Chimutengwende, who both passed away last week, will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare on Wednesday.
The Government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, announced the twin heroes’ burial.
Maj-Gen Siziba died at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks Camp Hospital last Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.
He was 67.
Cde Chimutengwende, a former Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, succumbed to chronic kidney disease last Thursday.
He was 81.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, said following the conferment of National Hero status on “the two patriots and indefatigable sons of the soil, there will be a twin burial for late Major General (Rtd) Solomon Siziba and Cde Chen Chimutengwende”.
“Burial will be on Wednesday, 22 January 2025 at the National Heroes Acre,” added the statement.
On Saturday, Maj-Gen Siziba’s body was flown to Bulawayo, where friends, relatives, and the leadership of Bulawayo and the Matabeleland region paid their last respects.
Yesterday, his body was airlifted to his village and farm in Gwanda before returning to Bulawayo to lie in state at his family home.
A funeral parade in his honour will be held this morning at 11am at Imbizo Barracks in Bulawayo.
Following this, his body will be airlifted back to Harare to lie in state at Charles Gumbo Barracks ahead of burial on Wednesday.
Similarly, Cde Chimutengwende’s body will be airlifted to his rural home in Chiweshe, at Majome Primary School, Mazowe District, where the entire Mashonaland Central Province will be able to pay their respects.
His body will lie in state in Chiweshe before being airlifted back to Harare on Tuesday.
It will lie in state at Charles Gumbo Barracks ahead of burial.
Government said people should attend the burial proceedings on Wednesday, to give a fitting send-off to the two great sons of the soil.
Cde Chimutengwende has been described as a strong member of Zanu-PF, who played a major role before and after independence.
He served as a Government Minister, Member of Parliament for Mazowe and a Politburo member.
Born on August 28, 1943, Cde Chimutengwende first became a Zanu-PF Member of Parliament in 1985 in Mazowe, and served as a legislator for over 25 years.
He also served for 14 years as a Cabinet Minister.
Cde Chimutengwende served as Senator and Deputy President of the Senate, Member of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and Head of the Zimbabwe delegation to the PAP.
He earned a Master’s degree in Social Science and a PhD from the University of Bradford in the UK.
