ZAMBIA: RHODESIAN NATIONALIST LEADER CHITEPO BURIED IN LUSAKA WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS.

Record ID: 528207

  • Title: ZAMBIA: RHODESIAN NATIONALIST LEADER CHITEPO BURIED IN LUSAKA WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS.
  • Date: 23rd March 1975
  • Summary: 1. GV Cathedral 0.05 2. GV PAN FROM Funeral procession TO onlookers (2 shots) 0.14 3. GV Funeral procession 0.37 4. GV PAN People around grave 0.53 5. SV Mourners including Mrs. Chitepo and son by grave 0.56 6. GV Coffins being brought to graves 1.00 7. GV Kaunda looks on 1.01 8. SVs Coffins being lowered into graves (2 shots) 1.14 9. SV Soldiers firing salute 1.22 10. GV President Kaunda walks to graveside and throws earth into grave 1.28 Initials BB/1906 MF/TB/BB/1935 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th April 1975 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
  • Country: Zambia
  • Reuters ID: LVA8M1IHRZWXI9T9KXUNI2V08RWK
  • Story Text: Rhodesian nationalist leader, Herbert Chitepo, was buried in Lusaka, Zambia on Saturday (22 March) with full military honours after a state funeral which rang which rang with declarations that the liberation struggle would continue.

    Mr. Chitepo, National Chairman of the Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) African National Union (ZANU), was killed on Tuesday (18 March) when his car was blown up after, apparently, running over a land mine.

    Zambian police have not said who they believe is responsible for the attack, but sources in Lusaka indicate that it is generally understood that he was a victim of an internal ZANU power struggle.

    The funeral ceremony was attended by President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. Bishop Abel Muzorewa, leader of Rhodesia's African National Council (ANC), Chitepo's widow, Victoria, the whole Lusaka diplomatic corps and several thousand other mourners.

    Saturday was declared a day of national mourning and all flags in Lusaka flow at half most from dawn to dusk.

    The ceremony was also for Mr. Chitepo's bodyguard, Silas Shamisa and a young Zambian boy, Nsambwa Chaya, who were also killed in the blast.

    On Friday (21 March) the Rhodesian Government announced that it had refused to allow Mr. Chitepo's body to be returned to Rhodesia for burial...."in view of Chitepo's history as a leader of a terrorist organisation, who was directly responsible for the murder of a considerable number of black and white Rhodesians."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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