The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani News Editor
AT the age of 90, Cde Moton Dizzy Paul Malianga is one of the few remaining pioneers of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
Considering that the nonagenarian has been a politician for the greater part of his life, it seems like politics is part of his DNA.
In his quest to contribute towards the attainment of Zimbabwe’s independence, he has had several brushes with the law.
His longest time behind bars was from 1964 to 1974.
Over the years following independence, Cde Malianga has had to endure the pain of hearing the sad news of the deaths of his fellow cadres in arms, among them Cdes Robert Mugabe, Ndabaningi Sithole, Herbert Chitepo, Leopold Takawira, Henry Hamadziripi, Mukudzei Midzi, Enos Nkala, Jason Zipapa Moyo, Edgar Tekere and Eddison Zvobgo.
With these liberation war stalwarts having had enough of Rhodesians’ brutality, they formed ZANU at the late Cde Nkala’s Highfields house in the then Salisbury in 1963.
Indeed, the protracted struggle for the country’s independence was not a stroll in the park.
As the country celebrates its 40th Independence Anniversary tomorrow, every patriotic Zimbabwean needs to reflect on the country’s painful experiences.
Now spending most of his time at his Harare residence, ill-health is taking its toll on the veteran politician who hails from Manicaland.
But despite that, The Manica Post managed to have an insight into the liberation war icon’s life. Because of his father’s professional life, Cde Malianga led a nomadic life from a tender age.
He started his primary education at Old Mutare Mission, before moving with his parents to Bulawayo. He was then sent to Murewa Mission and later Kutama Mission boarding schools. For his secondary education, Cde Malianga went to Khaiso School, Adams College and Ohlange Institute in South Africa, where he acquired his Matriculation Certicate in 1953.
He then worked as a bookkeeper in a department store in South Africa and was later promoted to become branch manager.
In 1957, he obtained a professional certificate in accountancy. But during his stay in South Africa, he was drawn into politics and joined the African National Congress.
Despite having acquired good education, as the politician in him became more incensed with colonial brutality, Cde Malianga quit his management position in South Africa and returned home to fight for the country’s independence.
He did not take time to find his political footing. In 1958, he joined the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress (SRANC).
He doubled up his political activism with a teaching job in Highfield, Harare, while making arrangements to further his education at a university abroad, where he had secured a scholarship. Following the ban of the SRANC in 1959, he abandoned the idea to further his studies and fully committed himself to the liberation struggle. When SRANC leaders were detained in February 1959, Cde Malianga decided to quit teaching. Together with the late Cdes William Dzawanda Musarurwa, Michael Mawema, George Silundika and Sketchley Samkange, Cde Malianga organised the formation of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and was elected its vice-president in December 1959.
The firebrand Cde Malianga led an NDP delegation to London in 1960, where they protested against the Sandys’ Constitutional proposals, which had token to Africa’s representation in parliament.
They were also demanding majority rule.
Between 1960 and 1961, Cde Malianga extensively travelled across Europe, Asia and Africa, canvassing for moral and material support as blacks intensified efforts to gain majority rule in Rhodesia.
He was arrested, tried and imprisoned in 1960 for making subversive statements at public meetings. Because of his popularity among blacks, Cde Malianga’s trial was transferred from a Harare court to Inkomo Military Camp as a large crowd had gathered to protest against his trial. After the NDP was banned in December 1961, Cde Malianga became secretary for public affairs of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), with the special responsibility of organising the armed struggle.
It was during this period that the first group of freedom fighters were sent out for military training. One member of this group, the late General Josiah Magama Tongogara, became the first commander of ZANLA, the armed wing of ZANU. In 1961, he was served with an order prohibiting him from entering all communal lands, the then native reserves, for fear that he would organise the peasants for an up-rising. The following year, he was prohibited from addressing or attending any gathering of more than 12 people.
ZAPU was then banned.
In 1962, Cde Malianga was again arrested, tried and sentenced to two years imprisonment (one year suspended) under the Law and Order Maintenance Act for making subversive statements at public rallies.
On release from prison in June 1963, he was appointed external representative of the newly formed ZANU, with headquarters in Cairo.
He was tasked with mobilising international support for the new party and the country’s liberation struggle, and travelled widely to achieve this objective. While in Egypt, Cde Malianga edited a journal titled Zimbabwe News. It was mainly being distributed to diplomatic missions. While he was abroad, he was elected secretary for youth and culture at ZANU’s First Congress in May 1964.
On returning to Harare in September that year, he was immediately arrested and imprisoned, first at Whawha, then Sikombela, and finally, immediately before Ian Douglas Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965, he was detained at Salisbury Maximum Security Prison, where he was to spend the next 10 years. During his time in prison, Cde Malianga obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in economics, business economics and accounting. He also passed 15 of the 18 courses required for a law degree.
After he was released from prison in December 1974, he worked with other members of the ZANU Central Committee in mobilisation for the liberation war. He attended the Victoria Falls talks, the Geneva Conference and the Lancaster House Conference.
In the First Parliament of Zimbabwe, Cde Malianga was appointed Senator and became Deputy Minister of Economic Planning and Development in 1981.
Two years later, he became Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development.
In the second Parliament, he was elected Member of Parliament for Mutare West and appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Commerce in 1988.
In March 1990, he was re-elected MP and appointed Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce. He is married to Cde Effie Malianga. The couple is blessed with two sons, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Currently, Cde Malianga is a Zanu-PF Central Committee member.
