War vets recommend hero status for late CIO
By Nqobile Tshili
THE Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) Bulawayo province has recommended that the late senior officer in the President’s Office and freedom fighter Cde Austin Peter Moyo be declared a national hero.
Cde Moyo (62) whose war name was Madayiza died on Sunday while admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital following a road accident on Tuesday last week.
In a recommendation letter addressed to Zanu-PF, ZNLWVA Bulawayo provincial chairman Cde Cephas Ncube said Cde Moyo’s works speak volumes about his dedication to the country hence he should be accorded the highest honour afforded to former freedom fighters
“The ZNLWVA Bulawayo province hereby requests the party (Zanu-PF) to accord a national hero status to the late Cde Moyo (Madayiza) who died on August 26, 2018 following a road accident. Cde Moyo was a former ZIPRA combatant who participated as indicated in the attached biography. The request is being forwarded for your consideration,” reads a letter Cde Ncube submitted to the party’s provincial chairman Professor Callistus Ndlovu.
Cde Ncube said at independence, Cde Moyo joined the President’s Office and served until the time of his death after having risen to the post of Divisional Intelligence Officer in the Central Intelligence Organisation.
The provincial war veterans chairman said Cde Moyo was born in Ntalale, Gwanda in 1957 and did his primary education at Ntalale Primary School before proceeding to Gwanda Secondary School.
Cde Ncube said Cde Moyo joined the liberation struggle together with the late national hero and former Assistant Director in the President’s Department in Charge of the Western Region, Cde Zenzo Ntuliki when they were both very young.
“Motivated by the spirit to fight the Smith regime, in 1974 he left the country at a tender age to join the liberation struggle in Zambia through Botswana Border in the company of his secondary teacher, George Mlilo, now Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and some of his classmates who include the late national hero Zenzo Ntuliki,” said Cde Ncube.
He said Cde Moyo trained under the Zapu military wing, ZIPRA in Zambia focusing on gathering intelligence.
“He worked under the same department but different divisions with Zenzo Ntuliki who was in the same VIP Protection Unit while Madayiza was in the intelligence collection. He did other intelligence courses within Lusaka before being deployed in the Northern Front 2 (NF2) in 1977 where he worked under the then regional commander Nicholas Nkomo aka Gilbert Khumalo who is now a Central Committee member for Matabeleland South with Phibion Mtero, Tshaka Moyo Todlana,” he said.
Cde Ncube said Cde Moyo’s duties included gathering intelligence about the enemy and fighting battles within the NF2 area.
He said Cde Moyo was also responsible for relaying information to his immediate commanders during the operations.
“By then he had also risen through the ranks and was in the ZIPRA regional command structure in NF2. NF2 operations carried out numerous combat battles around Hwange, Lupane, Nkayi, Dete, Gwampa Valley until ceasefire in 1979,” he said.
On Tuesday the Provincial Affairs Minister for Bulawayo Cde Angeline Masuku pleaded with his family to be patient as Government and Zanu-PF leadership consulted on his status. The Chronicle.
