War heroine and widow of the late nationalist Herbert Chitepo, Victoria Fikile, died yesterday at her home while preparing to attend a Zanu PF central committee meeting.
BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
President Robert Mugabe announced her death during the meeting.
He said Chitepo (88) was about to be driven to the venue of the meeting when she was found dead by her daughter. “She was one of us politically and physically. It is a loss to all of us,” Mugabe said before observing a minute of silence in her honour.
Chitepo, a former Cabinet minister, political activist, educationist and legislator, married the late Herbert in 1955 in Durban after having known each other for 10 years.
She was appointed Education deputy minister in 1980 before she was moved to the Information, Posts, and Telecommunications ministry in 1982.
In 1982 she was appointed Natural Resources and Tourism minister up to 1990. She was then appointed Information minister up to 1992 when she retired.
She was to lose an election coming back from retirement 13 years later when she ran for the Glen Norah parliamentary seat. Chitepo was a Zanu PF politburo member until the 2014 congress.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Meanwhile, Zanu PF also lost another war veteran, Vivian Mwashita, who died yesterday.
War veterans’ chairperson, Chris Mutsvangwa confirmed the death of Mwashita, a former freedom fighter.
Mutsvangwa said Mwashita was one of the bravest female fighters during the liberation struggle.
War veterans’ spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya said Mwashita was one of the female veterans who survived several deadly battles during the war of liberation.
