President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is today presiding over the burial of national hero, Kenneth Vhundukai Manyonda at the Nationa Heroes Acre, in the capital.
Manyonda died on 9 November 2022, at New Marlborough after a long illness.
He was 88.
Early life, Manyonda enrolled at Chapungu Primary School and completed Sub A & B between 1942 and 1943 and subsequently Standard 1 to 6 between 1944 and 1950. He proceeded to Daramombe Secondary School where he did Form 1 and 2 in 1951 & 1952 respectively.
He transferred to Dadaya Mission in 1953 for Form 3 and completed his O’ levels in 1954. He studied A’ Level between 1956 and 1957 at the same school.
After completing his advanced level studies in 1957, he worked in various jobs in the industrial & commercial sector. However, like the youths of his age, Kenneth suffered racial discrimination that was being exerted on blacks throughout the country.
The white oppression compelled him to join nationalist politics as he sought to fight the colonial injustices.
Manyonda went to Livingstone, Zambia and worked there for a short period. In 1962 Manyonda returned to Gweru, where he was appointed chairman of the Gweru branch of ZAPU.
It was during this time that Manyonda became involved in trade unionism. He obtained a post as the accounts clerk for Charles W. Hall Limited (Ltd), a hosiery manufacturing company.
Due to the oppressive tendencies that black workers were experiencing, the workers at the factory like many around the country formed a branch of the Textile Workers’ Union of Rhodesia and Manyonda was elected Chairman.
-ZANU PF Patriots
