OBITUARY: Mai Mahofa: A woman of steel

20 Aug, 2017 - 00:08 0 Views
OBITUARY: Mai Mahofa: A woman of steel FIERY . . . Never one to cower, Mai Mahofa spoke her mind and defended her rights

The Sunday Mail

Raymond Takavarasha
I am national heroine Cde Shuvai Ben Mahofa’s uncle and I followed her political career closely.

She inspired me mightily to get involved in politics. I have worked for Zanu-PF in different capacities for many years, including being in the administration director’s office at party headquarters.

From her early years, she always wanted to assert herself. My father, a primary school teacher at Chibi Mission, taught her, and spoke a lot about her vigour. Never one to cower, she spoke her mind and defended her rights.

At church, her booming voice was unmistakable as she sang hymns with other congregants. That powerful voice made her distinctively special, even as a little girl. I watched her grow, join the National Democratic Party and mature politically. She abhorred racial segregation and was unequivocal about challenging white colonial rule. She was well-known in Gutu for being a war collaborator.

We all knew that liberation fighters would store their ammunition at her house and also got food and clothes there. Mai Mahofa worked with Dr Simon Mazorodze, caring for comrades who required medical assistance as she was a trained nurse.

And at Independence, she was one of only two female councillors in Gutu. She continued to be a formidable and visionary politician who championed the cause of war collaborators.

In fact, she was at the forefront of Zilwaco’s formation alongside the likes of Cdes Kandemiri, Tsungirirai Hungwe and others. It would be difficult to find any woman from Masvingo who has made a greater impact in politics than she did.

She served both party and Government with distinction in different roles, among them heading the Zanu-PF Women’s League’s Commissariat.

 SHUVAI MAHOFA. . . A formidable and visionary politician to the very end

SHUVAI MAHOFA. . . A formidable and visionary politician to the very end

She was also the MP for Gutu, a Central Committee member for years and deputy minister in various portfolios. Her contributions in Parliament were momentous as she championed women’s rights.

She abhorred men who deliberately blocked women from taking leadership positions at Government and party levels. Because of her spirited character, some powerful politicians in Masvingo wanted to push her out, but she remained strong until the conspiracies subsided.

She was a people’s person, too. She had a shop at Gutu Mpandawana Growth Point where she interacted freely with all and sundry. On numerous occasions, Mai Mahofa offered free drinks to the community.

It was not surprising that she had a keen interest in all major economic projects that were taking place in Masvingo. Even as she was poorly, she remained passionate about seeing the people of Masvingo benefit from projects such as Tokwe-Mukosi Dam and construction of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Road.

Masvingo will miss her. Her death is a great loss to the family; she was a pillar to the family. It is going to be difficult for anyone in the family, Government or the party’s provincial structures in Masvingo to emulate her. The family is struggling to come to grips with the loss. Her shoes are definitely too big to fill.

Mr Raymond Takavarasha was speaking to The Sunday Mail’s Chief Reporter Kuda Bwititi in Harare last week

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