Edmore Ncube | The ZIPRA Veterans Trust have accorded ZAPU leader, Dumiso Dabengwa with a national hero status, while he is still living and awarded him with a medal and certificate in that honour.

The veterans gave Dabengwa the award last week for what they described as championing the party’s ideology as well as preserving the late founding father, Joshua Nkomo’s legacy of nationalism.

The ZIPRA Veterans Trust Chairperson, Ben Ncube said the association had decided to honour the former intelligence supremo for pursuing Nkomo’s vision of nationalism and wanting to liberate Zimbabweans from the yoke of oppression.

“As former ZIPRA cadres we have decided to honour our leader for maintaining ZAPU policies. Dabengwa has continued to carry the message and preserve the legacy of umdala uNkomo,” he said.

Ncube also paid tribute to Dr Dabengwa for spearheading ZAPU’s withdrawal from Zanu PF in 2008, saying that was a “brave” and necessary move.

“Ubaba Dabengwa removed us from the mud in Zanu PF. We want to thank him for pulling us from that mud otherwise we would have sunk,” he noted.

Dr Dabengwa expressed gratitude to the ZIPRA cadres for honouring him but said the journey to liberate the country was not easy.

The ZAPU leader narrated experiences, he and his colleagues went through, but lamented that some of his comrades who he served with during the liberation struggle were now late leaving him lonely.

“I am humbled to receive such recognition. We went through a lot in our efforts to liberate this country during the liberation struggle. I urge all the remaining ZIPRA cadres to make the last sacrifice for our children. I also encourage all ZIPRA cadres to put your heads together and come up with solutions to the challenges we are facing now in our country,” said the former Home Affairs Minister.

Dr Dabengwa also promised to preserve and maintain the party’s principle sand urged elderly members of the party to groom the younger generation so they too can follow in their footsteps.