President Mugabe is consoled by his niece Ms Constance Mugabe and her daughters Tariro and Musawenkosi, both pupils at Msengezi High School in Zvimba yesterday.— (Picture by Munyaradzi Chamalimba)
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mugabe’s sister Cde Bridget Mugabe has been declared a liberation heroine.
She died aged 78 on Sunday morning from heart failure at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after spending more than three years on life support.
Cde Bridget Mugabe collapsed at the National Heroes Acre in 2010 at the burial of her sister Cde Sabina Mugabe and had been admitted in the hospitals’ intensive care unit ever since.
Zanu-PF Mashonaland West secretary for administration Cde Kindness Paradza said the party had conferred liberation heroine status after considering her contributions to Zimbabwe’s freedom.
“She was a disciplinarian, a teacher, a unifier and a cultural ambassador who promoted our cultural heritage. She was also a firm promoter of self-reliance among Zimbabweans, believing that we should be masters of our destiny,” Cde Paradza said.
Yesterday, Cde Bridget Mugabe’s body was taken to Kutama Village in Zvimba ahead of burial at the rural home today.
Before departing for Kutama, a memorial service was held at a funeral parlour in Harare that was conducted by Zimbabwe Defence Forces Chaplain General, Colonel Joseph Nyakudya.
The service was attended by relatives, friends and senior Government officials who included Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Miriam Chikukwa, Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa and Zanu-PF officials.
Minister Mnangagwa led mourners in body viewing.
At Kutama, the body was met by President Mugabe, the First Lady Amai Mugabe, relatives and several Cabinet ministers while mourners also paid their condolences to President Mugabe and the First Family.
A requiem mass was then conducted by Roman Catholic priest, Father Clifford Nhetekwa, who is also a nephew to the First Family.
He said Bridget had asked him to conduct mass when she passed on.
Father Nhetekwa described the now deceased as an honest person and a dedicated teacher who groomed a lot of people to be responsible citizens.
“We had nicknamed her the ‘managing director’, because she was a teacher and a strong character that was not afraid to speak her mind.
“She also advised us on many issues that affect our day-to-day lives and a number of people owe what they are today to her advice.
“She taught us that the only way to success was hard work and that motivated us when we were learning life skills at Silveira House with the likes of Mashonaland Central Provincial Minister Martin Dinha,” he said.
Father Nhetekwa said Cde Bridget Mugabe had left an irreplaceable gap in the family.
She trained as a Science teacher and taught at Ngezi and St Michael’s among other schools and contributed immensely to the liberation struggle.
She provided support to the seven freedom fighters who fired the first shots of the Second Chimurenga and was arrested and tortured by the Smith regime for her political activism.
Meanwhile, condolence messages continued to pour in yesterday with Senior Minister of State in the President’s Office Cde Simon Khaya Moyo expressing deep sadness at Cde Bridget Mugabe’s death.
“Whilst in Namibia I and my wife have learnt with deep sadness of the death of your dear sister Bridget on Sunday 19 January 2014 after spending a lengthy period hospitalised,” he said.
“We are aware of the unbearable pain the First Family is experiencing and yet we must as believers know that he giveth and he taketh.”
Cde Khaya Moyo said Bridget played a vital role with remarkable assertiveness in all facets of human endeavour.
“We pray that the First Family accepts God’s calendar is no man’s calendar and its supremacy is final,” he said.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo said the party lost a committed cadre.
“As the party, we have lost a committed and dedicated cadre who contributed to the liberation and development of this country in an immeasurable way,” he said.
“While we are aware that Cde Bridget Mugabe has been in a coma for some time, causing pain and anguish to the entire Mugabe family, we wish to express our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the President, the First Lady and the entire Mugabe family at this difficult time.”
Zanu-PF secretary for Women’s Affairs Cde Oppah Muchinguri described Bridget as a staunch member of the Women’s League who devoted her entire life for the betterment of fellow women.
“As a deputy secretary in the ministry of Women’s Affairs (in the 80s), Cde BZ (her nickname) spearheaded and was influential in the establishment of numerous development and empowerment programmes for women across the country.
“Cde BZ will be remembered for her ever smiling face, her deep knowledge of our culture and her understanding of “hunhu” especially as these related to women,” she said.
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators Association said it was saddened by Bridget’s death.
“We have lost a committed and dedicated cadre who contributed to the liberation and development of this country in an immeasurable way. We wish to express our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the President, the First Family and the entire Mugabe family at this difficult time.”