ORDINARY Zimbabweans, trade unionists and politicians have been reacting to the death of MDC founding leader Gibson Sibanda on Monday.
Here is a selection of WHAT THEY SAID:
“Always measured, humble and unassuming, the late became a voice of temperance and maturity in tempestuous political times.”
President Robert Mugabe
“He’s the one who influenced me to go into mainstream politics. It’s like my heart has been ripped off me.”
MDC secretary general and Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube
“That quality of his, making strangers feel welcome and part of the group, was one of the things that made him stand head and shoulders above others.”
MDC founder member and Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Senegal Trudy Stevenson
“He was quietly spoken, slow to respond, as he was always careful to weigh his words so as not to offend – but he was a fiery public speaker.”
MDC founder member and Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Senegal Trudy Stevenson
“Any definition of hero – be it a dictionary or political interpretation – would fit Sibanda. There is no debate at all.”
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa
“Gibson whom I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting on a number of occasions was held in high esteem in the international trade union movement for his outstanding leadership qualities, wisdom and foresight.”
Trades Union Congress (UK) general secretary Brendan Barber
“Sibanda dedicated his life to the fight for the rights and total emancipation of the down trodden. His selfless and staunch commitment to the motherland is also codified in this illustrious career as a trade unionist.”
Vice President John Landa Nkomo
“Sibanda was a man of principle, soft-spoken but profound, he could disagree without being disagreeable. He shunned superfluous and effervescent posturing and always focused on the broader national interest and agenda.”
Vice President John Landa Nkomo