Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has bestowed national hero status on former Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Cde Justin Mupamhanga.
He died yesterday at Arundel Clinic in Harare after a long fight against diabetes and high blood pressure.
Zanu PF national Political Commissar, Cde Munyaradzi Machacha, delivered the message of national hero status to the Mupamhanga family at their Harare home last night.
Cde Machacha was accompanied by Zanu PF Mashonaland Central Politburo members, Central Committee members and provincial executive members, including provincial chairman Cde Kazembe Kazembe, among others.
In his remarks, Cde Machacha said Cde Mupamhanga led an exemplary life, hence the decision to declare him a national hero.
“ZANU PF and His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa are happy to announce to the family and to the nation that Cde Mupamhanga has been accorded national hero status,” he said.
“When the party looked at the work he has done over the years; it was not difficult for the President to bestow upon him this status. He earned it through his hard work.”
Cde Machacha said the work done by the national hero started during the liberation war where he selflessly worked alongside other cadres to liberate the country.
Even after the war, he said, Cde Mupamhanga remained a positive person and supported the ruling party in every way possible, together with his wife, where they participated in various thematic committees, giving progressive ideas and opinions.
“Cde Mupamhanga had depth of knowledge of the socialist ideology of the ruling party and he held this until his death.
“He was a hard worker and a team player. He was good at research and made sure that he would thoroughly dig for facts around any issue before making a presentation.
“The family may have lost a great man, but I think the greatest loss is to the country, ZANU PF and all the ZANLA cadres who knew and worked with him all these years,” Cde Machacha said.
Earlier yesterday, Acting President Dr Constantino Chiwenga had sent a condolence message to the Mupamhanga family.
He said the decision to bestow national hero status on Cde Mupamhanga was in recognition of his role in the struggle for Independence and in national development, especially in laying the foundation and growing the agriculture and energy sectors.
“May I, on behalf of His Excellency the President Dr ED Mnangagwa and the First Family, the nation, the ruling ZANU PF party, Government and my family, express my deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Mupamhanga family, including Amai Mupamhanga and the children who include, our Deputy Minister for Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Hon Kuda Mupamhanga, on their saddest loss.
“May they derive solace from the knowledge that the nation today joins them in mourning the sad and untimely demise of this illustrious son of the soil,” Acting President Chiwenga said.
Cde Mupamhanga’s last-born son, Mr Kumbirai Justin Mupamhanga, expressed gratitude for the honour bestowed on his father.
“Today is a dark day. We have lost a great man as a family, the country lost a great man. As a father, he was the best.
“The intention is to give him a great send-off, what he deserves, and carry on his legacy. He is gone but through us his sons and his grandchildren, he lives,” he said.
His granddaughter Makanaka Mupamhanga (11) said life would not be the same without her grandfather.
“I frequently used to visit his office and we have a lot of great memories. The fact that he’s gone makes us really sad, but we know that he is in a better place. One thing he always told us was, ‘always remember me, even when I’m in my grave’, and we will fulfill his wishes,” she said.
Family friend, Mr Denias Zaranyika, said he had lost a good friend and brother.
“He stayed in Mozambique for a long time, fighting for the freedom of this country. He wanted Zimbabwe to be free so that we would be able to self-determine our future.
“I have no words today; we are celebrating the passing on of a great man. We know that he worked very hard for this country to liberate it, and I want to say to him, ‘well done, Justin, well done, my friend’,” he said.
Cde Mupamhanga was a veteran of the liberation struggle who sacrificed his studies at the then University of Rhodesia in 1975 to join Zanla forces at the battle front.
He played a critical role in driving the implementation of Government programmes as Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for monitoring and evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, working under then Chief Secretary, Dr Misheck Sibanda.
He superintended over numerous strategic and key Government programmes in agriculture, energy and infrastructure development.
Cde Mupamhanga joined the liberation struggle in Mozambique and was allowed to complete his university studies soon after completing his initial military training.
He later held important positions in the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and ZANLA commissariat and education departments.
After Independence, he began his civil service career in Government in 1983 in the Economics Division of the President’s Department.
He rose through the ranks, first establishing and heading the Economics Branch, serving as Minister Counsellor at the Diplomatic Mission in London, United Kingdom, and later being elevated to the position of Deputy Director in the President’s Department under President Mnangagwa, who was then the Minister of State Security.
In times of the El Nino-induced droughts that have from time to time devastated the Southern African region, Cde Mupamhanga was part of a taskforce that included the then Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, who is now late, Major General Amoth Chimombe and Mr Ngoni Masoka, the then Secretary for Agriculture, that was charged with the responsibility to import grain and avert hunger in the country.
Cde Mupamhanga was later appointed Pemanent Secretary for Energy and Power Development. During his tenure, he played a key role in the liberalisation of the fuel industry, which eliminated fuel shortages and increased participation by indigenous businesses in that sector.
In that role, he also led the restructuring of the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe.
He also restructured ZESA into self-contained business units and introduced the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority.
As Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for monitoring and evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Cde Mupamhanga oversaw the implementation of major projects such as the construction of Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.
The highlight of his career was as Chairman of Command Agriculture during which he laid the framework for agricultural productivity, thus helping Zimbabwe to reclaim its breadbasket status in the region.
He retired in 2019 after 36 years of dedicated service to Government and country but continued as Chairman of Kuvimba Mining House.
