First Lady consoles CIO director-general family

Tendai Rupapa

Senior Reporter

FIRST LADY Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa on Friday visited the family home of Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General Ambassador Isaac Moyo to pay her condolences following the death of their eldest daughter, Shumirai, in Dublin, Ireland, last week after a short illness.

She was 41.

Efforts are being made to repatriate her remains for burial.

The mother of the nation, who gave the family and other mourners words of comfort, fought back tears as the deceased’s mother, Cde Priscilla Moyo, who is the legislator for Mwenezi West, chronicled what transpired.

The First Lady was accompanied by her son Emmerson Junior.

“Amai, our child fell sick. She fell sick at work and her friends rushed her to hospital, where she was put in the intensive care unit. She was in the intensive care unit for six weeks. I went there when she had spent four days. I spent the whole month there.

“My visa was expiring, so I came back to renew it so that I could go back. I came back on March 27 and there was a holiday. Unfortunately, when I was getting my papers processed, she passed away. She was our eldest child, with three boys behind her,” Cde Moyo explained.

The First Lady gave the family words of encouragement and comfort.

“Losing a child is a painful experience that we do not look forward to. It is so painful that some of us take long to accept what would have taken place. To some, it spawns sickness because of thinking too deep about what would have transpired and that we will never see the person again. It is so painful because there is nothing we are able to do and that is why we just thank God for the time we had with the individual, living with them and doing all sorts of things in life. We just say thank you Lord, we have seen it, kuda kwenyu ngakuitwe. It is so painful to us mothers, but do not think too much so that her spirit goes well,” Amai Mnangagwa said.

Turning to the two children left by the deceased, the First Lady said: “Kuvazukuru vangu masiiwa naamai, ndinoda kuti mushinge. Zvinenge zvanetsa sekuru nambuya varipo uye tese tiripo. Muve vana vanoteerera uye mudzidze nesimba kuchikoro, Mwari vachikutungamirirai.”

Amb Moyo thanked the mother of the nation for commiserating with his family in its hour of need.

He also gave a brief background of his daughter.

“Firstly, let me thank the First Lady, Amai Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, for coming here at our house to console us over the loss of our daughter, Shumirai Moyo.

“We feel very honoured that she has been able to visit us and to give us words of comfort. Shumirai was in Dublin, Ireland, where she was working. Just about a month-and-a-half ago, she fell seriously sick, headache, brain complications and she succumbed to that sickness just a few days ago. We are trying to see how the body is repatriated from Dublin to this place for burial back home,” he said.

Amb Moyo described his daughter as having been a political activist, who intended to represent a constituency in Parliament.

“She was a political activist here in Harare, especially Harare West, where she wanted to contest for that seat in Parliament but she never was able to do it. She then went to Dublin for work. It was five years ago when she went there and she was back home once and we were expecting her back this year but it was not to be; she is no more. I just want to thank all the people who have been to this house consoling us over the loss of our daughter. We do not take that for granted; we really want to appreciate everybody but much more importantly the First Lady, who has seen it fit to come in person to console us. Shumirai is survived by two boys, who are in their early adult life, and I have been staying with them,” he said.

Reverend Mary Vimbai Muzori shared a word from the Bible.

She further paid tribute to the First Lady for her love and kind gesture.

“I want to thank you Amai for your kind gesture. You have said Shumirai is also my daughter and I am going to console the Moyo family. May our heavenly Father continue blessing you. To baba naamai Moyo, accept these words of comfort that have come from our mother, which came awash with the blessing of consoling you. She has come to comfort you and the whole family. May God give you strength to soldier on, may he bless you, may he keep you and may he bless your going out and your coming in. May God bless you and fill you with good health and wisdom. Sekutaura kwaita Amai, the First Lady, hatizivi misi nenguva, ngatinyaradzwe semhuri,” she said.