Harare — PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday attended the burial of retired army general Vitalis Zvinavashe, who died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.
Tsvangirai was joined by several officials from his party, marking the first time that senior officials from the MDC T party attended a national event of this magnitude.
Members of the other MDC formation, who included Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara, also attended the burial.
The MDC-T, which has called for an inclusive policy on the conferment of hero status, said there was no dispute over Zvinavashe's status as a hero.
Addressing mourners at the Heroes' Acre in Harare Saturday, President Robert Mugabe thanked the MDC formations and Tsvangirai for attending the burial saying in the spirit of "togetherness" brought about by the inclusive government, he appreciated the gesture.
He also denounced the acts of violence that have been occurring in various parts of the country in the past few days saying people behind these acts of violence were now "enemies of the state".
This was Mugabe's strongest denunciation of the violence that has rocked some parts of the country since the September 15, 2008 Global Political Agreement between the three main political parties in Zimbabwe, which paved the way for the formation of an all-inclusive government.
He said such people were only trying to derail the success of the unity government.
"We entered into this inclusive government for stability and peace and those bent on violence have become enemies of the state," Mugabe said.
But returning to familiar territory, Mugabe again went on the offensive, attacking the West for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe saying now that Zanu PF and the MDC formations had united to rebuild the country, the West must remove the sanctions and allow the country to move forward.
Thousands of people, the majority of them officers from the Zimbabwe National Army attended the burial. Also in attendance were services chiefs, diplomats and government officials from both the MDC and Zanu PF.
While the service chiefs attended the burial and for the first time came face to face with the Prime Minister, they saluted Mugabe and Vice-President Joice Mujuru as they left Heroes' Acre, thus avoiding the prospect of saluting Tsvangirai.
Just before the March 2008 harmonised elections the service chiefs vowed they would not salute Tsvangirai "because he did not have liberation credentials".
Zvinavashe, who was born in 1943 in Gutu district of Masvingo province, served in the ZNA from as far back as 1981, starting as a Brigadier General. In 1994, Zvinavashe became the first Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, a post he held until his retirement in 2003.
The first Independence Commander of the forces was Retired General Solomon Mujuru.
He is survived by wife, Margaret and several children.
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Hear! Hear!! Criminal Mugabe condemning political violence? He who built his terror rule on widespread acts of violence and caused over 4 millions of Zimbos to seek refuge in SA and who now condemns tyhe very act that has perpetuated his banana republic rule!
Beware bloodstained Mugabe, you are cutting the branch on which you are sitting!!
Your service chiefs refused to salute the new PM and that's the most grotesque violence that you are secretly promoting. Why should the West lift sanctions against you and your 200 cronies? Why? To enable you to siphon off more aid money into your oan secret accounts in Hong Kong?
Tsvangirai has to put up proper mechanisms to prevent Mugabe and his cronies to lay hands on aid money. Otherwise, the MDC must start questioning Tsvangirai's ability to harness Mugabe!
Zimbos will continue to experience chaos should Tsvangirai act as Mugabe's emmissary to the West for foreign assistance!
Prem ... Still you have not had enough courage or guts to answer to my simple quetion ... let me repeat it to you. Do you think any aprtheid leaders, cabinet members were criminal in their governance of their country up to Mandela's freedom???? eg de clerk and Verwoerd
Premature please just shut up.You have nothing to say to true Zimbabweans. Black Zimbabweans believe in brotherhood regardless of their totem.We dont want uncouth and ignorant people like you fueling hatred among blacks. We have seen people like you smile with glee when images of suffering Africans are splashed in the media. We have seen people like you laugh in the belly when Africans kill each other. We have seen people like go and count the African dead when you never bothered to prevent the deaths. We have seen people like you try to retard the Afriacan population by introducing diseases which which Africans cant understand and take a long time to get a cure. Remember one of your forefathers Cecil John Rhodes had syphilis, he never had sex with an African. We have seen people like you telling the world that you discovered Zimbabwe with its wonders hence we tell the blacks there what to do and how they must behave amongst themselves. Do you think people are listening to your rants and mournings. That Sinoa, Banket,Charter,Gwelo or Hartley farmland wont go back to your white ancestors for they never belonged to Africa. I am bothering to reply to your rantings and bull because you are insulting my elders in my presence, because you insulting Africans, because you are insulting everyone who knows that Europeans enslaved BLACKS for along time and they have never bothered to apologise, because you think you are clever than Tsvangirayi and his MDC.Please stop insulting Africans we have never insulted you and your brothers. Even if am ZanuPF people in MDC are my brothers. We come from the same village we share the same totem, we share the same aspirations,so Prem dont come inbetween for you might not notice the hand which will deliver the blow. You can never decipher our language and our actions and feelings. Prem we are blacks Mugabe, Tsvangirayi, me and all the others who read your rantings and some never bother to reply for they dont want to be associated with mad people. How many white people were at Susan Tsvangirayi's funeral. And how many ZanuPF members where there. You must be careful in what you say. You will never understand an African thats why Ian Smith died a bitter man. He thought he understood the young blackman he used to give sweets at his little england, only to come face to face at a do or die conference. You dont have African friends Prem. They are watching what you say next. Stop insulting other people maybe they will listen to your rantings.
Moltecc, please don't continue to commit mistakes! A black Zimbabwean is also a human being as any of us, not a especial breed. See what is happening in Madagascar? See what is happening in Pakistan?
People are clamouring for the respect of the rule of law and they get the gut to join the street to fight for it.
What have you done against criminal Mugabe? You have been just a coward!!
Over 4 million of your folks had to run away to SA for protection against Mugabe's cronies, CIO and what not!
You just need to wake up, put your foot down and support pro-democracy forces. Mugabe and his cohorts who have brought about the "failed" state will have to realize the country is not behind them.
Get inspiration from the Malagasy people who are just getting rid of a tyrant! When you yourself is praising a bloodstained tyrant, you have no right to show me fingers.
The situation in Zimbabwe is destabilizing my own country, another SADC member state. I have as much right as you to call for clean government in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe cannot give you that clean government. Unfortunately SA is playing double game.
Moltecc, your conscience will haunt you for ever since you never denounced Mugabe's killings, maiming, rape, etc. Do you mean to say black Zimbabweans approve of such barbaric acts on their folks because it's a black leader cimmitting them?
Don't you hide your face when looking into your mirror?
Prem, you say you are a citizen os South Africa? Although you maybe resident in the country, you certainly are not an African. Thank goodness, you do not even pretend to be one. Our problem is you are like a pest, but even a fly get squashed if it keeps on troubling one. 'Criminal Mugabe'you say ad nauseam. I asked you several times to say if you think any apartheid leaders were criminals eg de Clerk or Vorster. And you refused to answer. You did not realise that your failure to answer my question spoke volumes to the Mabwe of Great Zimbabwe. You will never succeed setting MaDzimbahwe on fire. You are wasting your time.
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