“HEROES are not made, but they are born”, aptly sums up departed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) member Blessing Choeni, who was buried at Tshibhidzanani Village 10km west of Beitbridge town on Monday.
Like a true hero in his community, Choeni’s burial had all the ingredients of a local hero.
In his death, he brought Beitbridge to a standstill as people from across the political divide gathered in Dulivhadzimu high-density suburb for a befitting send off.
Vehicular traffic was blocked from using a street that passes by his childhood to allow the multitude of mourners space during the week-long vigils of his funeral wake.
His burial, despite being on a Monday, drew one of the largest crowds ever seen in Beitbridge and his vehicular cortege stretched more than 4km.
Choeni, who died in his late 40s, was a charmer, a gift carried even in his coffin.
As a cross-border transporter, he had bitter business confrontations with clients, but was never involved in physical exchanges common with others in that trade around Beitbridge.
He was a lover, and he left his mark.
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Choeni married multiple times.
All but one of the mothers of his between 10 and 13 children attended his funeral, and three others, in the order he married them, were by his bedside at his last moments, all living under one roof.
“He may have separated with them, but they never hated each other and kept a strong bond that made their children comfortable even during their separation.
“He was a loving father, husband and ex-husband to all he had lived with as husband and wife,” a cousin of his said.
All his elder children cut a sorrowful sight as they wept uncontrollably watching their father’s body being lowered into the grave.
He was buried next to his mother.
And the children mothers stood behind them after scooping some soil thrown in his grave to bid bye.
Speaker after speaker heaped praises on Choeni, who succumbed to complications of the liver in unconfirmed suspected poisoning.
Renato Manavhela, an acquaintance of Choeni, said the late transporter was a man of many talents.
“He had a heart of hearts and was strong even in death,” said Manavhela, who associated with Choeni in social, business and political life.
Manavhela represented CCC in the last general elections, but lost to Zanu PF’s Albert Nguluvhe.
“He was known throughout the district and was responsible for taking me across during my campaigns in Beitbridge East,” he said.
Choeni grew up in Zanu PF and left to join the Free Zimbabwe Congress led by Joseph Busha before later dumping it for CCC.
He withdrew his parliamentary candidature for CCC’s Morgan Ncube, who was later disqualified by self-proclaimed interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu.
He divided opinions and at one time asked his uncle, a former Beitbridge Rural District Council chairman Joseph Muleya, to step down and leave the post for him.
His nephew, McMillan Mbedzi, said his uncle was a teacher, entrepreneur, father, politician, builder and a people’s person whose life was devoted to humanity.
“He had respect and that was shown in his frankness. It’s a pity some people and relatives may have failed to attend his funeral because of their differences in politics, but we are a people together first before our various political journeys,” he said.
