President Mnangagwa has bestowed the title of Liberation War Hero on chemist David Sziba who died on Saturday last week and will be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery in Goromonzi.
Cde Siziba died at Parilenyatwa Hospital in Harare at the age of 76.
He was a Harare-based businessman who pioneered the establishment of cell phone services in Zimbabwe.
In a letter to Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, Zanu PF Secretary-General Dr Hubert Mpofu yesterday confirmed President Mnangagwa’s granting of status to Sisiba.
“His Excellency the President and First Secretary of ZANU PF, Cde ED Mnangagwa, has conferred the title of Liberation War Hero on the late chemist Cde David Siziba who died on 09 March 2024 and will be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery, Goromonzi.
“His family can be contacted through our Matabeleland South regional office. I would be very grateful if you would make the usual payment of benefits to his family. He is from Matabeleland South Province.”
Sisiba was born on June 30, 1947 in Inciza, Vilabosi, Matabeleland South, and completed his primary and secondary education at Church of the Brethren in Christ School after which he joined Fletcher Secondary School in Gweru to further his studies. Advanced level studies.
In 1971, while studying for a degree in agriculture at the University of Rhodesia, he became a student activist which left him unable to complete his degree programme.
He won a Commonwealth Scholarship to go to Bombay University and do a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering.
During his time in India, his political resolve and activism grew. Cde Siziba moved to the UK where he joined the ZAPU office staff.
He worked as Deputy Engineer for the BBC in 1977 and several other institutions in London.
In 1978, Commander Sisiba left the United Kingdom for Zambia to join the liberation struggle and was part of a 25-member team sent to train as an intelligence expert in Russia alongside Commanders Bernard Ncube, Ifathi Ndlovu, Patrick Mlilo, Martin Jabulani Shatin and Mxolisi Ncube . , Obert Ndlovu, S. Ndlovu, and Mandlenkosi Ncube.
He was then posted to Lusaka at ZAPU headquarters where he served with Cdes Jeremy Brickhill, (Lawyer) Nkiwane, Fraser Nyathi, Sam Madondo, Victor Mlambo, King Nypart Madida, Swazini Ndlovu, and TJ Sibinde.
Commander Sziba was then posted to the National Security Organization (NSO) wing of ZAPU, where he was in charge of foreign intelligence operations, working closely with the late Russian-trained intelligence chief and national hero, Commander Dumiso Dabengwa, under the leadership of the late Zimbabwean father Dr. Joshua. Mqaboko Nkomo.
After the historic ceasefire at Lancaster House and transitional talks in London at the end of the War of Liberation, Sisiba returned home with the ZAPU delegation.
He then joined the government in 1980 where he worked under the late national hero George Silundika who was then Minister of Roads, Posts and Communications as Assistant Secretary.
After that, he worked at the Ministry of Industry and Technology, rising through the ranks until he became Undersecretary, then Deputy Permanent Secretary, a rank at which he left the government after eight years.
After leaving government service, Sisiba became an industrialist and set up his own bicycle manufacturing company, Norton Cycles. He also ventured into the food sector being one of the first manufacturers of corn flakes.
Cde Siziba is celebrated as one of the pioneers of black empowerment and entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe.
An active driver of black empowerment, he became a leader of the Indigenous Business Development Center (IBDC) which he co-founded in 1991 with Ben Mucheshe, Leo Mugabe and Strife Masiyiwa.
In 1996, Sisiba founded Cosmos Cellular as one of three companies that provided services to the newly created NetOne, a state-owned national mobile telecommunications company. Chronicle
