By A Correspondent – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has conferred national hero status on the late Victor Panganai Kuretu, the national chairperson of the Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Association (ZEPPDRA), who died last week Kuretu passed away on August 7, 2025, at St Anne’s Hospital in Harare after a short illness The announcement was made on Saturday by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province, Senator Charles Tavengwa, at the Kuretu family home in Mufakose “President Mnangagwa, who is the First Secretary of the party (ZANU PF), has conferred national hero status on Kuretu,” Tavengwa said
“He will be interred at the National Heroes Acre at a date to be advised The President considered the role played by Kuretu during and after the liberation struggle and deemed it fit to accord him this highest honour.”
Kuretu was born on March 3, 1942, in Gweru He completed his primary and secondary education in the city before training as a teacher in Mutare While in Mutare, he became ZAPU youth secretary for the Sakubva Branch and later rose to the position of deputy regional secretary for Manicaland Province
His political activism led to repeated persecution by the Rhodesian regime He was first arrested in 1962 After his release, he was arrested again in 1965 and detained at Sakubva Police Station In 1966, he was sent to Gonakudzingwa Restriction Camp, where he remained until his release at the end of 1970
Undeterred, Kuretu continued his involvement in the liberation movement until independence in 1980 After independence, he worked for Dairibord Zimbabwe while remaining active in party structures, serving as ZAPU district chairperson for Mufakose Following the 1987 Unity Accord, he held various positions in ZANU PF, from district to provincial level, and eventually became a member of the National Consultative Assembly Source: Zimeye
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Source: Zimeye
