Zim exiles mourn Sibanda

A veteran trade unionist and one of the founders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999, Sibanda died last Tuesday after succumbing to cancer at age 66. Speaker after speaker rose to praise Sibandas political maturity and his quest for genuine freedom in Zimbabwe and unity amongst all here people. While many also criticised the Zanu (PF) politburos refusal to declare Sibanda a national hero.

Ngqabutho Dube, the secretary for administration of the MDC-Ms South Africa Branch, lamented the passing on of Sibanda at a time Zimbabwe needed his cool head the most as the country forges ahead with its constitutional reforms as well as efforts to achieve national healing and reconciliation. Sibanda departed at the crucial stage of the government of national unity and the constitutional making process, said Dube, adding that there was need to review the process of conferring national hero or heroine status.

On paper, all Zimbabweans from different walks of life can be declared national heroes or heroines for outstanding contribution to the cause, well-being and interest of the country. However small a group of men and women from Zanu (PF)s Soviet-style politburo cabinet has monopolised the right to say on who is bestowed national hero or heroine status.

Dube said, you have to be a Zanu (PF) member to be (declared) a hero in Zimbabwe We have to redefine who a hero is. The current heroes acre is an abuse of the taxpayers money to create a heroes acre for (members of) Zanu (PF) .

Giving a brief account of Sibandas contribution during the liberation struggle, Dube said the former railways worker used to transport military hardware for former freedom fighters and it was during one of such gun-ferrying missions that Sibanda arrested and jailed for three years. Information and publicity officer for the MDC-Ts South African wing, Bongani Mathe, said: It is unfortunate that he passed on before we reached Canaan. I am calling upon people from different parties to follow Sibandas footsteps. He was a respectful, dignified and fatherly figure.

Phuta Tseki, who is an official with the Congress of the South African Trade Unions (COSATU), described Sibanda as a champion of workers rights. He said: Gibson reflects what COSATU stands for. The loss of Gibson as a unionist is also a loss to South Africa.

Munjodzi Mutandiri, a human rights activist and a member of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), described the death of Sibanda as a great loss to Zimbabwe, saying the late politician was a committed campaigner for a truly democratic constitution for the country.