Professor John Makumbe laid to rest

BUHERA – Prominent political scientist Professor John Makumbe, who died on Sunday at the Arcadia Medical Centre in Harare, was on Wednesday laid to rest at his rural home in Marengo village in Buhera.

The 63 year old fearless human rights campaigner and outspoken critic of President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party died of a heart attack.

Speaking during his burial, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai mourned a friend in the struggle saying he was an academic par excellence. He said Makumbe was a true hero of Zimbabwe who was frank and stood for what he believed in.

Tsvangirai was accompanied by his wife Elizabeth and senior party leaders, cabinet Ministers, MPs and people from other political formations including Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader Dr Simba Makoni.

MDC-T national organizing secretary, Nelson Chamisa, said more than 5,000 people from all over the country attended the burial.

This year Makumbe was set to contest in the coming parliamentary elections on an MDC-T ticket in Buhera West, setting a precedent in the history of the country’s politics, of a clear succession plan where the outgoing MP, Advocate Eric Matinenga would assist the professor in his campaigns.

Makumbe was a senior official in the MDC and worked in various capacities in an advisory role. He is most remembered in the party structures for his role in participating in the Ideological Lecture Series programmes that are held weekly in Harare and across the country.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia, and three children, Rumbidzai, Simba and Tawanda.

During the burial the outgoing MP for the area, Eric Matinenga criticised his MDC-T party’s slogan, saying it promotes violence and is not constructive.

“We want to address issues. Unonzwa vanhu vachiita maslogans vachiti nhingi mudenga. Roverai pasi. Bwa. Tsikai nemagirazi ake. Chii chinotibatsira kana tikati munhu pasi bwa? (We say hit someone against the ground. Of what help to us is that slogan). We want constructive slogans,” he said.

“Takati slogan iyoyo kuno hatiyidi. Ngatitsvagei imwe slogan ine zvainoreva (We banned that slogan in this area. Let’s come up with a fresh slogan).”

But Chamisa, chided Minister Matinenga saying “I want to correct Minister Matinenga. We do not believe in violence. Bwa yedu haisi yekurova vanhu asi ndeyekudonha kwemunhu,” he said.