Dominic Muntanga who spoke at the burial of his father a National Hero Andrew Muntanga at the National Heroes Acre.

By Beven Takunda, Harare, July 21, 2011 - Dominic Muntanga, son to the late national hero Andrew Muntanga on Wednesday challenged President Robert Mugabe over the ill-treatment of his father who was being buried at the national shrine.

The late Muntanga died last week at the Victoria Falls Medical Centre after suffering from heart complications.

He was the first Binga Member of Parliament after independence from 1980 to 1985.

Muntanga was re-elected MP for the same constituency from 1995 to 2000 before retiring from politics due to ill-health.

He stunned mourners when said his family was still bitter about the ill-treatment which his father received from Mugabe's administration during the Gukurahundi era.

“It’s unfortunate that my father was arrested in a free Zimbabwe whose independence he contributed to," he told mourners. "My father was great man who united the people of Binga and the nation at large. He was also disturbed in his political career when he was disqualified from contesting for the seat of parliament for Binga in 2000 on false allegations after he had won the primary elections.

"Since then Zanu (PF) had a decade long electoral loss in Binga. We all know that the open palm (MDC slogan sign) has been prevailing over the fist (Zanu (PF) slogan) on parliamentary elections in Binga, but my father remained in the national consultative assembly of Zanu (PF),” said Domini.

The then country’s Prime Minister Robert Mugabe in the early 1980s unleashed the North Korea-trained 5 Brigade who killed thousands of Ndebele people accusing them of harbouring dissidents in what was seen as a campaign to decimate PF Zapu.The killings ended when the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo signed the Unity Accord with Mugabe on December 22, 1987.

But human rights activists say those who survived the attacks by the soldiers have not received any psychological support or medical assistance from government since the conflict ended.

Children whose parents were raped by soldiers or were killed are also still struggling to secure national identity documents.

President Robert Mugabe confirmed that his government once arrested Muntanga but did not justify the arrest.

“Matorongo mangani akapindwa namushakabvu,vasungwa vaenda kuWhawha,vasungwa vaenda kuKhami,Vasungwa vaenda kugona kuGonakudzigwa.Pakati apa takazosungana zvakare. (The late Muntanga was imprisoned many times including after independence,”President Mugabe confirmed to the cheering mob mostly uniformed forces and Zanu (PF) youths who were also part of the mourners.