How Zimdancehall Chanter Soul Jah Love Was Conferred A Liberation Hero Status

How Zimdancehall Chanter Soul Jah Love Was Conferred A Liberation Hero Status

How Zimdancehall Chanter Soul Jah Love Was Conferred A Liberation Hero Status

On Thursday, Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu announced that the late Zimdancehall star Soul Musaka, who is popularly known as Soul Jah Love had been conferred a liberation hero status.

However, the announcement attracted a mixed reaction as some questioned the motive behind the announcement while some were literally confused. On the other hand, some celebrated the befitting send-off Soul Jah Love will have.

In Zimbabwe, Chibaba, as he was also known, is not the first musician to be honored with the liberation hero status.

The late Dendera King Simon Chimbetu and Chinx Chingaira, born Dick Chingaira Makoni, were both declared liberation war heroes when they passed away in 2005 and 2017 respectively.

In 2019, the late Oliver Mtukudzi was also conferred with the national hero status although he had no liberation war history.

At the age of 31, Soul Jah Love broke his own record after being honored with the liberation hero status.

Soul Jah Love’s age triggered a lot of questions among Zimbabweans and many would want to know how one is conferred a liberation hero.

According to the National Heroes Act, the National Hero status is the highest honor that can be conferred on any individual, and this grants the recipient the privilege to be buried at the National Heroes Acre.

The National Hero status also comes with benefits for the family of the recipient.

Provincial Hero of Zimbabwe which is also referred to as Liberation Hero status is the second-highest honor that can be conferred on an individual. It entitles the person to be buried at a provincial Heroes Acre and comes with benefits for their family.

The final type of Hero Status is the District Hero of Zimbabwe.

According to the National Heroes Act, for one to be declared a hero ( national, provincial, or district) one needs to be a citizen of Zimbabwe who has served the country well through outstanding, distinctive, and distinguished service. The National Heroes Act Chapter 10:16 reads

‘Where the President considers that any deceased person who was a citizen of Zimbabwe has deserved well of his country on account of his outstanding, distinctive and distinguished service to Zimbabwe, he may, by notice in Gazette, designate such a person a national, provincial or district hero of Zimbabwe.’

Soul Jah Love was declared a liberation hero for representing the youth through his musical career.

The National Heroes Act gives the power to confer hero status to the President of Zimbabwe. However, the President usually consults with his senior advisers before making the decision.

Soul Jah Love passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with Diabetes.

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