The Sunday Mail
LIBERATION war hero Cde Chester Chizema, who died last week after a short illness, was buried yesterday at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre.
He was 63.
Cde Chizema was conferred with liberation war hero status in recognition of his contribution towards Zimbabwe’s Independence.
Addressing mourners, at the burial, Advisor to the President Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa described Cde Chizema as a brave and courageous man who had sacrificed much for the nation’s freedom.
“Cde Chizema belongs to a generation of an African army in Africa that fought the most modern imperialist army in the world and defeated it,” he said.
“The British army was one of the most sophisticated in the world, but men and women like Cde Chizema took it upon themselves to fight that army for the liberation of the country.
“We now talk of people in the Diaspora, but we forget there is a generation of men and women who left the country to get training in countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, China and Russia for the liberation of the country.
“Although he was a Zipra cadre while his brothers, Wonder and I, were Zanla cadres, we remained brothers because the bond that united us was the love of our country and that is more important. This is the dedicated generation that we had.”
Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Cleveria Chizema added: “He was very humble person and one would never have guessed that he was a liberation war fighter. He was a selfless, dedicated cadre who remained resolute in support of the revolution.”
Cde Chizema was born in Bulawayo on June 4, 1955 and attended Kutama Mission from 1969 to 1972 before joining the liberation struggle in 1974, undergoing military training at Morogoro Camp in Tanzania.
In 1975 he went to Russia for further military training, specialising in artillery, and on his return he was appointed instructor at Morogoro before being transferred to Mboroma Camp in Zambia where he trained six battalions.
After ceasefire, Cde Chizema moved to Zipra HQ and was chief of staff at Gwai Assembly Point.
He was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army as a major and left the army in 1982 to join Government.
He is survived by his wife Rosha Nyoni and two children, Leon and Tendai.
