President Emmerson Mnangagwa has described the late national hero Ambassador Victor Matemadanda as a steadfast patriot, disciplined revolutionary and dedicated servant whose contributions to the liberation struggle, national governance and diplomacy will continue to inspire future generations.
Speaking during Ambassador Matemadanda’s burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had lost a loyal cadre whose commitment to the ideals of the liberation struggle remained unwavering throughout his life.
“It was therefore with immense shock and sadness that I received the news of his passing last Saturday, the 20th of June, at Parirenyatwa Hospital. His demise is a blow to our nation and we grieve this loss,” said the President.
He extended condolences to the Matemadanda family on behalf of the Government, ZANU PF and his personal family.
Reflecting on their final meeting earlier this year in Eswatini during King Mswati III’s 40th coronation anniversary, the President said Ambassador Matemadanda had accompanied him throughout the visit, sharing meals and reflecting on the liberation struggle.
“He later saw me off as I returned home. Unbeknownst to me, that was the last meal we would share, the last handshake and the last goodbye,” he said.
The President said the late hero’s ideological clarity and patriotism defined his life, from the liberation war through to independent Zimbabwe.
“He answered the call of our national armed struggle and remained fiercely dedicated to the complete economic liberation of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Tracing his early life, President Mnangagwa said Matemadanda was born in Gokwe in 1960 and spent part of his upbringing in Zambia, a common experience among families displaced during the liberation struggle.
During the war, he was deployed to Takawira Sector in 1979, where he sustained injuries during combat before being evacuated to Mozambique for treatment. Despite this, he returned to the front and later operated in Mudzi.
At independence, he was integrated into the Zimbabwe National Army, where he served with discipline and dedication before retiring to join politics and ZANU PF organisational work.
“He helped build party structures not only in Gokwe, but across the country,” said the President.
Ambassador Matemadanda later served as Zanu PF National Political Commissar, Deputy Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, and Member of Parliament for Gokwe Central.
The President also praised his leadership of war veterans, noting his emphasis on self-reliance and productive land use rather than dependency.
“As Secretary-General for the War Veterans Association, he rejected the begging bowl syndrome and promoted hard, honest work as a path to economic emancipation,” he said.
President Mnangagwa concluded by describing him as a courageous operative who played a key role in mobilisation, logistics and support operations during the liberation war, saying his legacy would remain deeply embedded in Zimbabwe’s history.
