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Memorial for the people's champion
A memorial will be held to honour a community stalwart and anti-apartheid campaigner who died on a trip to visit relatives in Zimbabwe.
Canaan Mutemasango died last month aged 71 and was buried in his home country, but his many friends and family will be gathering at the Victoria Centre in Palk Road, Wellingorough, on Saturday to pay tribute to his life and work.
Mr Mutemasango was part of the team that helped to renovate the old United Reformed Church school building which is now the Victoria Centre and was heavily involved in the Wellingborough Afro-Caribbean Association.
Friend and colleague Paul Crofts said: "Throughout his life Canaan was a fighter for justice – for racial equality, for self-determination for peoples across the world oppressed by colonialism, for workers rights.
"He will be fondly remembered by his immediate and extended family who I know he loved deeply."
Mr Mutemasango was born in the village of Chegutu in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. In the early 1960s he became politically involved in the underground freedom struggle against apartheid and was also an active trade unionist, but was forced to flee the country.
He came to Wellingborough in 1961 following a job offer from the head of chemicals firm Scott Bader in Wollaston.
Despite briefly returning to Rhodesia, he raised his family – wife Connie and sons Chiseko and Clive – in Wellingborough.
Mr Crofts said: "His life was always one of struggle in adversity, but he is now at peace.
"While Canaan's death was sudden, and a shock to all of us, it was always his wish that he be buried in his home country of Zimbabwe and his home village.
"This wish, if not others that Canaan undoubtedly held, has come to pass. For this we must give our thanks."
Mrs Connie Mutemasango said: "I would like to thank my wonderful family, wonderful friends, and wonderful neighbours for supporting me during this time of my loss."
The memorial will be held on Saturday at midday.
Click here to read Paul Crofts full tribute.
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Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
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