ONE of the founding members of one of Bulawayo’s biggest private transport associations Tshova Mubaiwa Transport Co-operative who had been reported missing was found dead in a bush in Mberengwa, Midlands province.
The now deceased Fanson Siziba (82) who had been reported missing on 1 June is alleged to have been suffering from dementia.
He was buried on 29 June at his rural home in Marirazhombe Village under Chief Chizungu in Mberengwa and he was accorded liberation war hero status.
In an interview, family spokesperson, Sikhumbuzo Siziba who confirmed the death of Siziba said a young girl who had gone to fetch firewood in the bush stumbled on his lifeless dead body which was already in a state of decomposition and notified the police.
Sikhumbuzo said the family was still grief-stricken following the ‘untimely’ death of their loved one.
“Circumstances are that on 23 June a young girl who had gone to fetch firewood in the bush saw a dead body that resembled that of his (Siziba) and reported the matter to the nearest police.
“We received a call from the police to come and identify the body and indeed it was our father. His body was already in an advanced state of decomposition.’’
“According to the position that he was found in, the police confirmed that there were no signs of attacks found on him. They suspected that he was severely affected by extreme weather conditions and hunger.
“He has been suffering from dementia and we suspect that might have made him forget directions back home,” said Sikhumbuzo.
Sikhumbuzo said following consultations with different organisations that he worked with including the transport sector and war veterans associations Siziba was accorded liberation war hero status.
“We notified different organisations that he worked with and these included the transport industry and the war veterans associations and when they looked at the work that he did to help the community and the country at large to gain independence they saw it fit to accord him liberation war hero status,” said Sikhumbuzo.
Siziba is survived by wife Chipo, 10 children, grandchildren and some great grandchildren.
Siziba was born on 2 May 1942 and left his job as a driver in 1978 to join the liberation struggle.
He then went to Zambia and stayed at a refugee camp which was under ZAPU.
Siziba was then sent to Romania in Bucharest where he was trained to be a qualified driver and he received other training that was in-line with the liberation struggle.
He then came back equipped and stronger than before working with ZIPRA commanders as a driver. At independence he however, didn’t join the Zimbabwe National Army and this made him find a job elsewhere.
Siziba got a job at Monarch where he worked as a truck driver moving from one country to another. While he was there that was when he thought of venturing into the transport industry leading to the formation of Insimbaluthi Partnership which was an affiliate of Tshova Mubaiwa.
Tshova Mubaiwa was established in 1983 in Bulawayo. The co-operative was established against the backdrop of the poverty alleviation programme, a Government initiative that sought to alleviate poverty through self-empowerment of Zimbabwean citizens.
— BMetro
