Liberation war status for the late Bhebhe

Staff Reporter

MARONDERA- The late Bongani Fanyana Bhebhe, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Alvord Poms Zikhali who passed on 29 April this year was declared a liberation hero.

He was 68.

Bhebhe was born on December 1, 1957 in Plumtree district, Matebeleland South and did his primary education in Plumtree before crossing into Zambia to join other ZIPRA cadres in 1976 for training at Mwembeshi Camp and later moved to Mlungusi Training Camp in 1978.

During the liberation war, the late Bhebhe, operated as a Platoon Commander in the Livingstone Region, in the Jambezi area of Hwange and Tsholotsho between 1977 and 1978. He was later promoted to the position of Detachment Commander and operated in the Spolilo area, now Guruve and Hurungwe up to the time of the ceasefire. He operated under the command of Cdes Joseph Mvedzi, Tidd Mpisi, Sigogi, Siziba Emmanuel, Mike Reynolds and Cephas Khupe, among other commanders.

He went to Luveve Training School and Ndabazinduna Assembly Point after which he was demobilised owing to injuries that the late Cde Bhebhe sustained in Hurungwe in 1979.

In 2001, he joined the then department of social welfare as an orthopaedic technologist after having undertaken several orthopaedic courses in Tanzania, India and South Africa.

The late liberation hero was an active member of the Mashonaland East provincial executive of the War Veterans Association and the ruling Zanu PF party up to the time of his untimely death.

He is survived by his wife, Abigail Bhebhe and four daughters.

The late Bhebhe was accorded the Liberation Hero status for persistently and consistently participating in freeing the country from the york of colonialism and continued as a dedicated and hardworking cadre who served his country so well.

He was buried last Friday at Etosha Memorial Park Cemetry in Goromonzi.