HARARE —
President Robert Mugabe, who turns 90 next year, says he would want to live forever.
Officiating at the burial of veteran nationalist Enos Nkala at the National Heroes Acre on Thursday, President Mugabe said he would want the Almighty to give him several more years on earth.
Mr. Mugabe, who won his seventh five-year term of office, has indicated that he would want to complete his current term. The veteran Zanu PF leader would be 94 years old at the end of the five-year term.
As has become the norm at such events, the president attacked the West for interfering in the country’s politics saying Zimbabwe should be left to deal with its own internal affairs.
He also urged Zimbabweans to shun homosexuality saying it is un-Godly to have people of the same sex marrying each other.
He announced that his Zanu PF party's top decision-making body between congresses, the Politburo, has unanimously endorsed Edna Madzongwe to be the president of the Senate in the eighth parliament that is expected to be sworn in early next month.
At the same time, a representative of the deceased's family, Herbert Nkala, told mourners at the national shrine that the veteran politician was a no-nonsense man.
Nkala said at one point his uncle had told the family that he did not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre.
Enos Nkala was born on August 8, 1932, and ventured into politics in 1957. He was instrumental in the formation of the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 1960.
Following the banning of the NDP, Nkala played a pivotal in the formation of Zanu at his house in Harare's Highfield suburb in 1963.
Before independence, the veteran politician spent a total of 12 years in various prisons such as Gonakudzingwa, Hwahwa and Sikombela for political reasons.
After the country gained its independence from colonial rule in 1980, Nkala became the country’s finance minister, later becoming the minister of national supplies and home affairs.
He resigned from both government and active politics in 1989.
Nkala, who succumbed to heart and kidney failure, is survived by his wife, Thandiwe, and eight children.
Officiating at the burial of veteran nationalist Enos Nkala at the National Heroes Acre on Thursday, President Mugabe said he would want the Almighty to give him several more years on earth.
Mr. Mugabe, who won his seventh five-year term of office, has indicated that he would want to complete his current term. The veteran Zanu PF leader would be 94 years old at the end of the five-year term.
As has become the norm at such events, the president attacked the West for interfering in the country’s politics saying Zimbabwe should be left to deal with its own internal affairs.
He also urged Zimbabweans to shun homosexuality saying it is un-Godly to have people of the same sex marrying each other.
He announced that his Zanu PF party's top decision-making body between congresses, the Politburo, has unanimously endorsed Edna Madzongwe to be the president of the Senate in the eighth parliament that is expected to be sworn in early next month.
At the same time, a representative of the deceased's family, Herbert Nkala, told mourners at the national shrine that the veteran politician was a no-nonsense man.
Nkala said at one point his uncle had told the family that he did not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre.
Enos Nkala was born on August 8, 1932, and ventured into politics in 1957. He was instrumental in the formation of the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 1960.
Following the banning of the NDP, Nkala played a pivotal in the formation of Zanu at his house in Harare's Highfield suburb in 1963.
Before independence, the veteran politician spent a total of 12 years in various prisons such as Gonakudzingwa, Hwahwa and Sikombela for political reasons.
After the country gained its independence from colonial rule in 1980, Nkala became the country’s finance minister, later becoming the minister of national supplies and home affairs.
He resigned from both government and active politics in 1989.
Nkala, who succumbed to heart and kidney failure, is survived by his wife, Thandiwe, and eight children.
