Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has today called on all Zimbabweans to take a leaf from the late national hero, Father Emmanuel Ribeiro who dedicated his life to the liberation of this country.

Speaking at the burial of the late cleric at the National Heroes Acre, President Mnangagwa said a dark cloud had hovered over the Roman Catholic Church and the nation at large as the late national hero was a man who helped the poor.

President Mnangagwa thanked the Roman Catholic Church for allowing the remains of Father Ribeiro to be buried at the national shrine.

“I know the Roman Catholic had their plans of burying their own but I thank you for accepting our offer to lay him to rest with other great war heroes here. He was and remains special in our hearts, I am personally pained by his demise. Allow me to say thank you for being a servant of God. The decision to honour in this way was befitting and unanimous. You have given us one of your own so that we bury him with his fellow compatriots. He followed the steps of Jesus Christ by helping the poor,” said the President.

The President commended the late Father Ribeiro for fighting a good fight till the end, serving his country selflessly. President Mnangagwa added that the late national hero was a distinguished literary man and an eminent writer whose two novels, Muchadura and Tonderai, scooped prizes and were used as set books in schools.

The President described Father Ribeiro as a man of many talents who composed several Roman Catholic hymns that inspired many people.

Family representative, Dr Onismo Dare thanked the President for conferring hero status on Father Ribeiro. He said they had planned to bury him at the Chishawasha cemetery but they later took a balanced decision to let him be interred at the Heroes Acre considering the role he played during the liberation struggle.

Father Ribeiro is the first cleric to be buried at the national shrine. He will be remembered for the role he played in smuggling the late former President Robert Mugabe out of the country to lead the struggle in Mozambique. The late Father Ribeiro was a composer par excellence who composed more than 17 songs which are still popular to this day.