Journalist Gwakuba Ndlovu burial set for today

VETERAN journalist and war veteran Cde Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu will be buried today at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo, his family has said.

Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu died last Friday at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) from a heart ailment. He was 87.

Yesterday, his wife Mrs Caroline Gwakuba Ndlovu said Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu’s service will be held in the morning.

“My husband will be buried tomorrow at the Lady Stanley Cemetery at around 10am. There will be a service at home, number 16 Jungle Road in Trenance from 7.30am,” said Mrs Gwakuba Ndlovu.

Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was born on 23 September 1934 at Dombodema Mission in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South province. In 2014, Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was among 21 pioneers of the liberation struggle who received the Liberation and Independence Medals, together with six serving ZDF members and three who were retired.

During the liberation struggle, Cde Gwakuba Ndlovu was the director of publicity and information of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu), between 1964 and 1978. He once served as the diplomatic representative for Zapu based in Algeria responsible for Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger and Mali. He also covered countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany.

On behalf of Zapu he participated in a number of the then Organisation of African Unit summits, Afro- Asian People’s Solidarity Organisation meetings, United Nations, anti-colonialism committee conferences, Heads of State and several international journalism conferences at places such as in Prague, Pyongyang, Moscow, Berlin, Cairo, Kinshasa, Rome and New Delhi.