Former Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko, Has Died
Zimbabwe’s former Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko, has passed away after a long illness at the age of 84.
The news of his death was confirmed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, who did not disclose the specifics of the illness.
In a condolence message, President Mnangagwa expressed his sorrow, acknowledging Mphoko as one of the early architects of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Struggle.
Mphoko later transitioned to a diplomatic career and served as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Russia, among other things, following the country’s independence.
Below is Mnangagwa’s condolence message:
Condolence Message by His Excellency the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa, following the passing on of Ambassador Report Phelekezela Mphoko, former Vice President of Zimbabwe.
I learnt this afternoon with a deep sense of grief and sadness of the passing on of our former Vice President, Ambassador Report Phelekezela Mphoko, after a long illness.
A veteran of our Liberation Struggle, Cde Mphoko’s 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, our Nation has lost yet another stalwart of the Liberation Struggle whose contribution to our hard-won Independence can hardly be overstated.
Trained in many countries, including in the then Soviet Union, Cde Mphoko specialised in logistics, an onerous and sensitive responsibility which 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, in order 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 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 which 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, 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 which 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 immortalise his life of sacrifice by according him the Status of National Hero.
May his dear Soul rest in eternal peace.
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