Zanu-PF Mat Sout chair buried

ZANU-PF’s chairman for Matabeleland South Cde Rabelani Choeni (71) who died after experiencing Covid-19 complications on Friday, was laid to rest at his rural home in Malusungani Village in Beitbridge West Constituency yesterday.

By the end of the day yesterday, the provincial leadership’s request for the conferment of national hero status on Cde Choeni was still being processed.

A few mourners, mainly close relatives, led by Zanu-PF Politburo member Ambassador Aaron Maboyi and his wife Ruth, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, attended the funeral wake.

The burial was conducted by the Ministry of Health and Child Care officials in line with Covid-19 protocols.

Cde Choeni succumbed to Covid19 died at his rural home on Friday evening.

Addressing mourners, Ambassador Maboyi described Cde Choeni, who was also his nephew, as a brave hardworker.

He said Zimbabweans, especially the youths, should remain principled and stick to the founding ideals of the liberation struggle which Cde Choeni and other liberators fought for.

“We grew up under a repressive regime, and today we are gathered here to lay to rest one of our gallant sons who took it upon himself together with fellow liberators to emancipate the black majority from the colonial yoke,” said Ambassador Maboyi.

Their main objective was to ensure that all Zimbabweans should have a say on matters concerning community and national economic development.

He was one of the first people to take up arms against the settler regime and we say thank you to him and the rest of those who went to war.

He said

Zimbabweans, should be innovative and fully exploit the natural resources of the country to stir economic development from the grassroots level.

“We need to preach to our people that our resources are our strength. We must refuse to have our resources exploited by people from other continents.

“They have their own resources from wherever they come from. As Zimbabwe let’s build our economy from what we have, which is what my nephew and other ex-combatants fought for,” said Ambassador Maboyi.

Family representative, Mr Ntuweleni Choeni, said the departed Zanu-PF chairman had contributed to the development of Beitbridge, especially in the agrarian reform and key infrastructure initiatives.

He said although Cde Choeni was big in politics, he remained a humble community leader who always made time to connect with his roots.

“We are sad and poorer without him, he was a brave warrior, who was passionate about development matters and the education of the youths,” he said.

Beitbridge West Legislator Cde Ruth Maboyi said the party had lost an exemplary leader and urged members of the community to continue adhering to set Covid-19 regulations to minimise new infections and deaths.

Cde Choeni joined the liberation struggle under Zipra in 1974 when he crossed to Zambia through Botswana.

He then travelled to Morogoro, Tanzania where he received military training and was appointed a medical man.

In 1976, he operated at GCB Gokwe region which was later known as the Northern front.

During the same year, he was promoted to Zone Medical Man and later the Zone Commander.

In 1978, he was elevated to the position of Deputy Regional Medical Man, a rank he held until the ceasefire period. He is survived by his wife Lydia, and five grandchildren. — @tupeyo