The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Correspondent
GOGO Gertrude Maponga, mother of ZANU PF national spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, was laid to rest in Harare yesterday at a ceremony attended by scores of people.
She died on Tuesday at the age of 84 after a long illness.
Speaking at the gravesite, Ambassador Mutsvangwa described his mother as a loving and well-groomed woman.
“She had a passion for good things about life. She was a very smart and intellectual woman. Even though she did not get the chance to go to school in the colonial era, she always valued education and that is one of the biggest virtues she gave me and because of that I strove to be the best student wherever I went,” he said.
Amb Mutsvangwa said Gogo Maponga was the one who indoctrinated the spirit of national service into him.
“She inspired me and pushed me to be what I am and she also loved her country. She is a woman who inculcated a patriotic value to all her children. My mother had a strong sense of family, for both her immediate offspring and the extended family. She would make sure she visited family members, spending the little money she would have,” he said.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa described her mother-in-law as a superwoman whom she was very fond of.
“I have lost a mother who was a very strong unifier, who loved her country very much. She always encouraged myself and Chris to pursue our careers without giving up, given our busy schedules. She always encouraged us to work hard for the country. When I came back from the liberation struggle in 1980, she was the one who received me and since then I have always felt so loved,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Gogo Maponga taught her invaluable lessons which continue to guide her to this day.
“She was a great woman,” she said. Several Government and ZANU PF officials attended the burial.
