Dr James Chitauro laid to rest

Harare – Former Defence Secretary and first Vice Chancellor of Bindura University of Science Education, Dr James Chitauro, was on Thursday laid to rest at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare. 

In paying his tributes Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, “I worked with him when I was in the Ministry of Defence the first time . . . Those were the formative years of the Ministry of Defence under an independent African Government. Working with him was a pleasure,” he said.

Dr Chitauro’s last born son, Farai, said his father was a loving man who was dedicated to his family and the country.

“The amount of interest which he takes in them shows us the interest which he took in us as well. He was special and different,” he said.

Political commentator Moses Chamboko said “news of Chitauro’s departure was not accompanied with the usual hullabaloo that we have become accustomed to whenever some political thug passes on.

“As we unceremoniously farewell Dr James Chitauro whose remains join ordinary citizens at Warren Hills, one thing ZANU PF has confirmed to us is that good men and women not tainted with corruption, whose hands don’t drip with innocent blood, men and women who have served their country effectively, diligently and honourably, are not newsworthy,” he said.

Dr Chitauro died at St Annes Hospital in Harare on April 7 after a short illness. He was born in Mhondoro-Ngezi in 1935 and grew up in Chikomba. In the 1960s, he enrolled at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom where he graduated with a Masters Degree in Computer Sciences.

In 1979, Dr Chitauro was a Mathematics lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe having earlier served as a senior scientific officer in the UK’s Defence Ministry.

Soon after independence, he was appointed Deputy Secretary for Transport, after which he became Defence Secretary.

Dr Chitauro also served as Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, and Labour and Social Welfare. He also served as board member for a number of Government entities. In 2000 he went to Australia to join his wife, Florence, who had been appointed Zimbabwe’s Ambassador.

Dr Chitauro is survived by his wife and four children.