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In recognition of the meritorious role of service to Zimbabwe, both before and after Independence, the Zanu PF Politburo has unanimously decided and agreed to celebrate and immortalize the life of sacrifice of the late Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko by according him the Status of National Hero.
This was revealed in the Condolence Message by His Excellency the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa, following the passing on of Ambassador Report Phelekezela Mphoko, former Vice President of Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa said he learned yesterday afternoon with a deep sense of grief and sadness of the passing on of Zimbabwe’s former Vice President, Ambassador Report Phelekezela Mphoko, after a long illness.
The late Vice President was a veteran of the Liberation Struggle. In paying tribute to him, the President said his political and military history coincides with the early days of militant nationalism against white settler colonialism which later morphed into the armed Liberation Struggle of which he was among its early architects, brave fighters, and crop of formative and outstanding commanders.
With his sad departure, the President said the Nation has lost yet another stalwart of the Liberation Struggle whose contribution to Zimbabwe’s hard-won Independence can hardly be overstated.
Trained in many countries, including in the then Soviet Union, Cde Mphoko specialized in logistics, an onerous and sensitive responsibility that ensured huge consignments of assortments of arms of war were moved to different bases in the rear, and to the war front inside the country, to maintain the momentum of the Armed Liberation Struggle and to exert ever-mounting pressure on the settler regime until final victory.
A versatile cadre, Cde Mphoko would later join ZAPU’s liaison department, a role which took him to Maputo, Mozambique, where the then ZANU was headquartered.
“We worked very closely with him, in the process laying the groundwork and anticipating the eventual convergence of the two liberation movements into the Patriotic Front. It was this early exposure to diplomacy, moulded in the crucible of the Liberation Struggle which prepared him for his long career in the diplomatic service after our Independence. It was an illustrious career that peaked with his appointment as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to various key countries, including the Russian Federation. His appointment as Vice President of our Nation was both deserved and consistent with his sacrifice and long service to his people who today grieve and mourn his untimely departure. After his service in Government, he continued to work with the Party, including lending his unqualified support to our most recent Harmonised Elections held in 2023.
“On behalf of the Party ZANU PF, the Government, my Family, and on my behalf, I wish to express my deepest, heartfelt condolences to the Mphoko Family, especially to Mrs Mphoko and the children, on this their saddest loss. As they go through the motions of grief, may they derive solace from the knowledge that we mourn and stand with them in this darkest hour, always recalling with awe and admiration the huge and selfless contribution that Cde Mphoko made towards Zimbabwe’s Independence and subsequent development after 1980.
“In recognition of his meritorious role of service to his country, both before and after Independence, the Zanu PF Politburo has unanimously decided and agreed to celebrate and immortalize his life of sacrifice by according him the Status of National Hero,” President Mnangagwa said.
