Opposition ZAPU has mourned the passing on of its secretary for legal affairs, Benedict Mlalazi, describing him as a ‘great son of the soil’.
Mlalazi died on December 26, at the Helen Joseph hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Cde. Benedict joined the liberation struggle in Zambia via Botswana in 1977 after finishing his Secondary school at Empandeni mission. He received training in Angola under the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army, (ZIPRA) The Angolan-trained Cadre greatly transformed the complexion of ZIPRA operations because of the operational methods introduced by the Cubans.
At the formation of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in 1980, he joined the Grey Scouts, a unit of the army that uses horses in their operations. He was later posted to the Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA) where he served as an instructor.
With an appetite for education Benedict studied law at the University of Zimbabwe and later relocated to the Republic of South Africa where he lectured law at the Witwatersrand university,” said ZAPU president Sibangilizwe Nkomo, in his condolence message.
Nkomo described Mlalazi as a resolute cadre who “stood firm in whatever he believed in and could not be swayed easily”.
“Comrade Benedict leaves us in no better conditions as a nation than we were in 1980. We ask Comrade Mlalazi to report to our pioneering fathers and mothers and indeed to all the fallen heroes and heroines that we are in Slavery conditions but we will not give up our Revolutionary convictions nor shall we betray those who have died for this country nor those who died in the hope that Zimbabwe will someday enjoy genuine and full freedom,” said Nkomo.
“May Cde Mlalazi convey to our forebearers that we are still not free. What has changed is the colour of the oppressor. He looks like one of us but behaves like none of us. The dream of equality before the law, respect of human and property rights, free and fair elections, social security and a welfare state has been betrayed by pseudo revolutionaries.”
