Leopold Takawira’s wife dies
By LAMECK SIBANDA
Published on: 14th January, 2010
Zimbabwe's Number One Social Networking site. Meet old classmates, interact with Zimbabweans across the globe, meet new friends, discuss important issues, find love and much more!
Related News
ZIMBABWE – HARARE – The wife of the late veteran freedom fighter Cde Leopold Takawira, Sunny Ntombiyelanga Takawira nee Dube has died.
Cde Takawira (82) died on Tuesday at home in Mt Pleassant after suffering from stomach complications due
to cancer.
In an interview yesterday, family spokesperson and her surviving son Dr Samuel Takawira, said Mrs Takawira had been having problems for some time before she was admitted at Baines Hospital for the last two months.”She had been having abdominal pains for some time due to cancer,” he said.
Dr Takawira said the family had lost a mother figure who stood by the family especially after Cde Leopold Takawira died in 1970 while.
“When our father was arrested in 1967, our mother did not waiver as she continued to work for the struggle. She would continue smuggling information from jail to the cadres and supplied medicines to detainees including (Robert) Mugabe, Simon Muzenda, Joshua Nkomo and several others who were in detention,” he said.
Addressing mourners at No. 7 Droitwitch Avenue in Mt Pleasant yesterday, Acting President Joice Mujuru said Amai Takawira and Cde Takawira’s works inspired many girls to join the struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence.
“Our efforts for Zimbabwe’s independence were part of her efforts to have a united force against the imperialists. What made us go to the war as young as we were was inspired by such people as Mugabe, Chitepo, Hove and several others as we had a problem to solve not through talks, but the barrel of a gun,” she said.
Mujuru said Amai Takawira suffered a lot especially during the time when Cde Takawira was incarcerated and when he died in 1970 under mysterious circumstances. Many believe Robert Mugabe eliminated Takawira among many other leaders like Chitepo, Tongogara, and Chinamano to rise to the top.
Mujuru said Cde Takawira was one of the several women who suffered after their husbands were incarcerated
during the liberation struggle.”The people who suffered most were the women and children who were left behind after their husbands went to war. It was a tough time, but because there were people like Amai Takawira the struggle continued.
“Today, we are not mourning, but celebrating her life and the work that she did during the liberation struggle. We can now honour her for all she did since the death of Cde Takawira, but we also need to learn from her work and her deeds,” she said.
In an interview, the late Vice President Simon Muzenda’s wife, Maud Muzenda’s described Amai Takawira as a strong person who stood resolute despite her husband’s unfortunate death.”I met Amaiguru during the time when we were suffering especially when our husbands were arrested by the settler regime. Amai Takawira, however, worked with us and she became an inspiration to most of us who had their husbands in prison.
“She was such a loving person who made us forget our problems during the struggle and her death is a sad loss to the family, country, Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe as a country,” she said. Zanu-PF Midlands provincial chairman and Governor and Resident Minister Cde Jason Mashaba, said the province had started pushing for Amai Takawira to be accorded heroine status.
“I worked with her especially when she was a Senator for Midlands province. As a province, we are pushing hard for her to be accorded heroine status for her contribution to the liberation struggle,” he said. Amai Takawira was born on July 2 1927 in Insiza district and went to school at Hope Foundation Mission before she trained as a nurse at Mnene Mission Hospital before working at Gokwe Hospital.
She married the late national hero Cde Takawira in 1955 before working at Harare Hospital for 25 years.
In 1980, Amai Takawira was appointed senator for Midlands province, a position she held until 1990.
Amai Takawira worked with several liberation war heroes providing medical supplies for the fighters and sheltered them on their way from training at her Highfield home.
Mourners are gathered at No. 7 Droitwitch Avenue in Mt Pleasant. Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.
