Joshua Nkomo statue mounted in Bulawayo
Published: 2013 December 17 08:31:09 (5584 Views)
THE statue of the late Vice-President and veteran nationalist, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, has been mounted in Bulawayo paving way for its official unveiling by President Mugabe this weekend.The unveiling of VP Nkomo's statue will coincide with the renaming of Main Street to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and the official opening of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.
The commissioning of the three projects will be part of this year's December 22 Unity Day celebrations in recognition of the historic 1987 Unity Accord to which VP Nkomo was a signatory.
Home Affairs Minister Cde Kembo Mohadi was in Bulawayo yesterday to inspect the project after the mounting of the statue on Sunday night.
He told Chronicle after the tour:
"I was doing an inspection to find out if what we instructed our officers to do was done and to see if the statue was properly mounted. They have done the work and I think they did it well".
He added: "Imbiza isivuthiwe. Only a few touch ups are left and on December 22, it will be ready for official unveiling. It is the same statue that was pulled down as we had to re-do the pedestal and make it blend with the surrounding."
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) regional director Dr Moira Fitzpatrick said the giant statue of the late Father Zimbabwe was mounted at the intersection of Main Street and 8th Avenue at about 9pm on Sunday.
"Yes, the statue was put up last night between 9pm and 12 midnight. We have done our part and the rest of the programme is left for the senior Government officers," she said.
NMMZ national director Dr Godfrey Mahachi said the mounting of the statue was an exciting moment for the people of Zimbabwe.
He said: "People should now look forward to the official unveiling of the statue this weekend. Zimbabweans will now have sight of what the project has been like all along."
Meanwhile, the Nkomo family yesterday conducted cultural rituals at VP Nkomo's grave at the National Heroes Acre in Harare to inform ancestors about the work being done to honour their son.
On Saturday, the family did a similar ritual at VP Nkomo's rural home at St Joseph, Kezi, in Matobo District. VP Nkomo's younger brother Edward confirmed the development.
"I am in Harare as we speak. This is an honour indeed. We are in a transformative stage," he said.
Joshua Nkomo National Foundation chief executive officer Jabulani Hadebe, who was part of the delegation that visited the national shrine, said: "We did the cultural rituals as well as Christian rituals. We were also accompanied by Thandanani Women's Ensemble who gave us music. We are moving in the positive direction and fully support the Government initiative. This is a project for the whole of Zimbabwe."
The Senior Minister of State, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, has said the official unveiling of the late national hero's statue in Bulawayo would be an important event in the history of Zimbabwe, demonstrating that the 1987 Unity Accord was irreversible.
The erection of the statue for the late Father Zimbabwe is set to excite members of the public who have anxiously waited for the compleion of the project.
Dr Nkomo's statue was erected in 2010 and pulled down before its official unveiling after Bulawayo residents and the Nkomo family complained that the dimensions of the initial pedestal did not capture the attributes of the late Father Zimbabwe in full.
Dr Nkomo died on July 1, 1999 and was accorded National Hero status. The erection of his statue is in memory of his illustrious works and contributions to the liberation of the country and its development after independence.
- Chronicle
The commissioning of the three projects will be part of this year's December 22 Unity Day celebrations in recognition of the historic 1987 Unity Accord to which VP Nkomo was a signatory.
Home Affairs Minister Cde Kembo Mohadi was in Bulawayo yesterday to inspect the project after the mounting of the statue on Sunday night.
He told Chronicle after the tour:
"I was doing an inspection to find out if what we instructed our officers to do was done and to see if the statue was properly mounted. They have done the work and I think they did it well".
He added: "Imbiza isivuthiwe. Only a few touch ups are left and on December 22, it will be ready for official unveiling. It is the same statue that was pulled down as we had to re-do the pedestal and make it blend with the surrounding."
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) regional director Dr Moira Fitzpatrick said the giant statue of the late Father Zimbabwe was mounted at the intersection of Main Street and 8th Avenue at about 9pm on Sunday.
"Yes, the statue was put up last night between 9pm and 12 midnight. We have done our part and the rest of the programme is left for the senior Government officers," she said.
NMMZ national director Dr Godfrey Mahachi said the mounting of the statue was an exciting moment for the people of Zimbabwe.
He said: "People should now look forward to the official unveiling of the statue this weekend. Zimbabweans will now have sight of what the project has been like all along."
Meanwhile, the Nkomo family yesterday conducted cultural rituals at VP Nkomo's grave at the National Heroes Acre in Harare to inform ancestors about the work being done to honour their son.
On Saturday, the family did a similar ritual at VP Nkomo's rural home at St Joseph, Kezi, in Matobo District. VP Nkomo's younger brother Edward confirmed the development.
"I am in Harare as we speak. This is an honour indeed. We are in a transformative stage," he said.
Joshua Nkomo National Foundation chief executive officer Jabulani Hadebe, who was part of the delegation that visited the national shrine, said: "We did the cultural rituals as well as Christian rituals. We were also accompanied by Thandanani Women's Ensemble who gave us music. We are moving in the positive direction and fully support the Government initiative. This is a project for the whole of Zimbabwe."
The Senior Minister of State, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, has said the official unveiling of the late national hero's statue in Bulawayo would be an important event in the history of Zimbabwe, demonstrating that the 1987 Unity Accord was irreversible.
The erection of the statue for the late Father Zimbabwe is set to excite members of the public who have anxiously waited for the compleion of the project.
Dr Nkomo's statue was erected in 2010 and pulled down before its official unveiling after Bulawayo residents and the Nkomo family complained that the dimensions of the initial pedestal did not capture the attributes of the late Father Zimbabwe in full.
Dr Nkomo died on July 1, 1999 and was accorded National Hero status. The erection of his statue is in memory of his illustrious works and contributions to the liberation of the country and its development after independence.
- Chronicle
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