THE FAMILY of the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo yesterday made an inspection loco of the site where the statue of Father Zimbabwe is envisaged to be mounted.
RONALD MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT
The members, among them Sibangilizwe, Thandiwe Ibrahim and Sehlule, were also accompanied by other board members of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Foundation to the site situated at the intersection of Main Street and 8th Avenue, Bulawayo.
Thandiwe Ibrahim, one of the two daughters of the late inspirational figure, said the statue would help revival the “fading” legacy of Father Zimbabwe.
She said the Nkomo family was happy with the developments as it had been waiting for the recognition of its father who played a major role in the liberation of Zimbabwe.
Nkomo succumbed to prostate cancer in July 1999, but projects linked to him have been delayed due to one reason or another.
In recent weeks there had been some remarkable progress at the site where Nkomo’s stature would be mounted with workers working around the clock to beat set deadlines.
“We are now happy at last things have come to fruition. Since he died we have been waiting for this. It seems 14 years have become a magic number for him. We always wished to see physical things that would make his legacy catch the attention of people from different generations and we have finally made it,” Thandiwe said.
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One of the board members Pathisa Nyathi said the statue would be complimented with a booklet that will briefly interpret the history of the late nationalist as well as the monument. “I think a brief booklet that will interpret the life of uMdala Wethu and the monument will help people from generation to generation understand his legacy. It is a pity young people do not have full knowledge about the iconic figure and the role he played in the liberation of the country,” Nyathi said. The monument that has four sides bearing the names of Nkomo’s grandfather Ramatsatsi a Sotho word meaning The father of the sun; the northern side is written “Father Zimbabwe”, the western side is inscribed Umdala Wethu while the east has the words, Chibwechitedza, meaning slippery rock. The Bulawayo City Council has proposed to rename Main Street Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street. The Bulawayo Airport has been rechristened Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.
