Online Reporter
Herald Reporters
NATIONAL heroes Major-General (Retired) Solomon Siziba and Cde Chenhamo “Chen” Chakezha Chimutengwende, who passed away last week, will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare on Wednesday.
The Government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, announced the twin heroes’ burial.
Maj-Gen Siziba died at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks Camp Hospital last Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.
He was 67.
Cde Chimutengwende, a former Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, succumbed to chronic kidney disease last Thursday.
He was 81.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, said following the conferment of national hero status on “the two patriots and indefatigable sons of the soil, there will be a twin burial for late Major-General (Rtd) Solomon Siziba and Cde Chen Chimutengwende”.
“Burial will be on Wednesday, 22 January 2025 at the National Heroes Acre,” added the statement.
On Saturday, Maj-Gen Siziba’s body was flown to Bulawayo, where friends, relatives, and the leadership of Bulawayo and the Matabeleland region paid their last respects.
Yesterday, his body was airlifted to his home village and farm in Gwanda before returning to Bulawayo to lie in state at his family home.
A funeral parade in his honour will be held at 11am at Imbizo Barracks in Bulawayo today.
Afterwards, the body will be airlifted back to Harare to lie in state at Charles Gumbo Barracks ahead of burial on Wednesday.
Mourners are gathered at 527 Bulawayo Drive, Killarney, Bulawayo.
Similarly, Cde Chimutengwende’s body will be airlifted to his rural home in Chiweshe, at Majome Primary School, Mazowe District, where the entire Mashonaland Central Province will be able to pay their respects.
The body will lie in state in Chiweshe before being airlifted to Harare tomorrow.
It will lie in state at Charles Gumbo Barracks ahead of burial.
The Government said people should attend the burial proceedings on Wednesday, to give a fitting send-off to the two great sons of the soil.
Maj-Gen Siziba joined the armed struggle when he, together with other learners from Manama High School, left school and crossed into Botswana.
He did his primary education at Nhwali Primary School and proceeded to Manama High School in 1976, where he started his Form One.
He was part of the group that joined the armed struggle from Manama Mission in 1977.
Maj-Gen Siziba did his military training in Zambia, and during the ceasefire, was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army.
He was stationed at the Zimbabwe Military Academy, where he rose to the rank of Captain, before being transferred to the Zimbabwe National Army, where he worked until 2005, rising to the position of Lieutenant-Colonel.
He was posted to Botswana as Defence Attaché from 2005 to 2013, stationed at the Zimbabwean Embassy.
Upon his return to Zimbabwe in 2013, Rtd Maj-Gen Siziba was appointed the Deputy Commander of One Brigade and had been elevated to the rank of Colonel.
From 2013 until 2018, he was appointed Director of Administration at the National Prosecuting Authority.
Maj-Gen Siziba returned to the ZNA in 2018 and was elevated to the rank of Brigadier-General and was assigned to the Brigadier-General Inspectorate position, a post he held until he retired from the military last year.
He was promoted to the position of Maj-Gen upon retirement.
Cde Chimutengwende has been described as a strong member of Zanu PF, who played a major role before and after independence.
He served as a Government Minister, Member of Parliament for Mazowe and a Politburo member.
Born on August 28, 1943, Cde Chimutengwende first became a Zanu PF Member of Parliament in 1985 in Mazowe, and served as a legislator for over 25 years.
He also served for 14 years as a Cabinet Minister.
Cde Chimutengwende served as Senator and Deputy President of the Senate, Member of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and Head of the Zimbabwe delegation to the PAP.
He earned a Master’s degree in Social Science and a PhD from the University of Bradford in the UK.
