Liberation stalwart Morton Malianga dies
By Leroy Dzenga
A dark cloud is hovering over the Zimbabwean sky after veteran nationalist Morton Dizzy Paul Malianga died this morning. Malianga who was 91, was one of the few remaining Second Chimurenga pioneers.
He was Zanu PF`s first Secretary for Youth and Culture, appointed at the party`s first Congress in May 1964. In 1965, he was arrested by the settler regime for his liberation efforts and spent ten years in prison.
During his time at Salisbury Maximum Security Prison, Malianga obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in economics, business economics and accounting.
He also passed 15 of the 18 courses required for a law degree.
After his release from prison in December 1974, he worked with other members of the ZANU Central Committee in mobilisation for the liberation war. He attended the Victoria Falls talks, the Geneva Conference and the Lancaster House Conference.
In the First Parliament of Zimbabwe, Malianga was appointed Senator and became Deputy Minister of Economic Planning and Development in 1981. Two years later, he became Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development.
In the second Parliament, he was elected Member of Parliament for Mutare West and appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Commerce in 1988. In March 1990, he was re-elected MP for Mutare West and appointed Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce.
Malianga had a special interest in media, when he was in exile in Cairo,Egypt, around 1963, he edited a journal called the Zimbabwe News which was distributed to diplomats.
In independent Zimbabwe, he sat on the Zimpapers Board.
He is survived by his wife Cde Effie Malianga, two sons and two grandchildren. At the time of his death, Malianga is a Zanu-PF Central Committee member. The Herald
