Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has finally seen it proper to consoled the Norman family following the death of the first Minister of Agriculture in independent Zimbabwe, Denis Norman.

Mr Norman died two weeks ago in Oxfordshire,United Kingdom, after a long battle with cancer.

ZimEye.com broke the news of Norman’s death last week but President Mnangagwa and the government remained silent on the issue.

He was 88.

In his condolences, Mnangagwa did not accord any national honour to the former minister, who has been described by many as a bridge between the colonial regime and the new Government of majority rule.

Norman was arguably the brains behind the country’s huge agriculture growth in the early years into independence.

In his condolence message, the President described Mr Norman as a long-time leader of the agriculture sector before independence in 1980.

“Mr Norman was among a few handful of white leaders who offered to serve under a black majority Government at independence, thus validating our policy of national reconciliation following 15 years of our armed struggle against white settler colonialism.

“This was a bold gesture which ended racial polarisation and laid a lasting basis for racial amity and peace in the country. Leaders like Norman, David Smith, Chris Anderson and Dr Timothy Stamps all late will be remembered in our country’s history for playing a salutary role in the formative years of our Nation,” he said.

As Minister of Government, the President said Mr Norman worked hard towards a unified, non-racial agricultural sector where farmers related to each other and collaborated on grounds of their calling and not along the racial divide of colonial times.

“On behalf of the Nation of Zimbabwe which he loyally served, its Government of which he was part for so long and on my own behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the Norman family on their saddest loss. May they derive comfort from the deep respect and regard which our nation continues to give him. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” he said.

It was through his efforts that the Grain Marketing Board, Cotton Marketing Board (now Cotton Company of Zimbabwe) and Dairy Marketing Board (now Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited) among other entities were formed to benefit farmers after independence.

Mr Norman was part of the initiation of the Beira Corridor Development and also served as Minister of Transport.

Source: State Media