Hero Nleya burial set for Wednesday
NATIONAL hero Cde Stanley Nleya will be buried at the National Heroes Acre on Wednesday, not Tuesday as reported earlier.
Cde Nleya (72) died on Tuesday at the United Bulawayo Hospitals of a heart ailment.
The national hero was one of the Zipra commanders during the liberation struggle, using the Chimurenga name of Elish Gagisa.
He was declared a national hero on Friday in recognition of his leadership qualities and contribution towards the liberation of the country.
President Mnangagwa mourned Cde Nleya saying through his leadership, he nurtured high ranking military persons such as Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Philip Valerio Sibanda.
Cde Nleya’s brother and family spokesperson Mr Tshaka Nleya outlined the burial arrangements for the national hero.
He said villagers from their rural home in Masendu in Bulilima district, Matabeleland South will today be given an opportunity to pay their last respects to the national hero.
“The body will be airlifted from One Brigade tomorrow at 2pm to Masendu Village where it will lie in state. We will conduct our rituals in line with the Kalanga culture on the same day. After which we are going on have a night vigil before a funeral service is done early in the morning on Tuesday.
“At 9am the body will be airlifted back to Bulawayo where a send-off service will be held at White City Stadium from 10am to noon,” said Mr Nleya.
He said Cde Nleya’s body will then be ferried to Harare at 1pm in preparation of burial on Wednesday.
Mr Nleya commended the State for working closely with the family in giving Cde Nleya a befitting send-off.
“We really appreciate the support we have been given by Government so far. They have been with us since he was declared a national hero. They even brought an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage who is assisting us with burial arrangements. They have made the planning very easy. I believe that my brother is getting a send-off that befits him considering his contribution to the country,” said Mr Nleya.
Bulawayo’s Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube said Government will render all the necessary support to the family.
“Government position is that we provide all the support to the deceased’s family in preparation for the burial. They come up with the timetable for burial arrangements until the funeral becomes State-led. The family has told us of their intentions that the body will lie in state at their rural home in Masendu tomorrow before it is brought back in Bulawayo on Tuesday morning. We will follow their plans until it becomes a State-led funeral at White City Stadium leading to his burial on Wednesday,” said Minister Ncube.
Cde Nleya was born on September 26 in 1947 in Masendu area in Bulilima District.
He did his primary education in the same district before proceeding to Hope Fountain Mission for his secondary education.
Cde Nleya also attended Inyathi Mission in Bubi District before abandoning school in March 1968 to join the armed struggle in Zambia via Botswana.
He received military training at Morogoro in Tanzania in 1969 and his group of 100 recruits was the third to be trained there.
Some of the people in his group were now national heroes like the late Colonel Masala Sibanda (Retired) and Major-General Jevan Maseko as well as Brig-Gen Abel Mazinyane (Retired), Brig-Gen Tjile Nleya (Retired) and the late Eddie Sigoge Mlotshwa.
After completing training Cde Nleya together with Maj-Gen Maseko, Brig-Gen Tjile Nleya (Retired), Sigoge and Elias Ndlovu were named five outstanding recruits and therefore were elevated to be instructors.
During the formation of Zipa, an amalgamation of Zipra and Zanla, Cde Nleya was chosen as the Chief of Staff at Mgagao in Tanzania where he worked closely with Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri (Retired).
As an instructor some of the people who went through his hands are decorated freedom fighters such as the Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander, General Philip Valerio Sibanda, Todd Mpisi, Rodwell Nyika (Brig-Gen Collins Moyo), former St Paul’s Assembly Point commander and frontal commander for NF1 and 2, Cde Nicholas Nkomo (Gilbert Khumalo).
In 1974, Cde Nleya was sent to Lebanon and led a group of five that had himself, Gen Sibanda, late Assaf Ndinda, Elias Ndou and Joel Dambudzo for a commando training course after which they were deployed alongside Palestine Liberation Organisation guerillas.
As the armed struggle intensified, Cde Nleya was promoted to the rank of deputy chief of operations, deputising Maj-Gen Maseko together with Cdes Richard Mataure (Ngwenya) and the late Mike Reynolds and he started getting into operational areas especially in Mashonaland West Province.
He covered areas such as Hurungwe and Karoi. At the attainment of the ceasefire he was appointed second in command to Cde Sigoge at Papa Assembly Point in Mashonaland West.
At independence he led the demobilisation process before being integrated into the Zimbabwe National Army where he served as one of the senior commanders.
When he left the army Cde Nleya worked for Hwange Colliery Company as a buyer.
At the time of his death he was working for a liquor franchise run by his nephew and Highlanders Football Club treasurer, Donald Ndebele.
He is survived by his wife who is based in the United Kingdom and four children. Mourners are gathered at Number 30 Old Luveve.