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Leonard Ncube/ Mashudu Netsianda, Chronicle Reporters
THE body of national heroine Cde Thokozile Mathuthu who died on Monday will arrive in Hwange tomorrow and pass through Bulawayo for a service on Friday before burial at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare.

Cde Mathuthu who died at the age of 61, was declared a national heroine and will be buried at the national shrine on Sunday.

The late heroine’s husband, Cde Jonathan Mathuthu last night said: “The body will be flown to Hwange on Thursday morning ahead of a service at Hwange Colliery Stadium at 9AM.”

Matabeleland North Provincial Administrator Ms Latiso Dlamini said the body will be in Bulawayo on Friday.

“The body will also be taken to Bulawayo either to Amphitheatre or Large City Hall before going to Harare for burial. We are however still waiting for finer details on the whole programme,” she said.

Yesterday heads of government departments, leaders of local authorities, service chiefs and other stakeholders met at the Provincial Administrator’s office in Lupane to plan for the programme.

Meanwhile, speaking in separate interviews on the sidelines of the Defence Forces’ Day celebrations at Somhlolo Stadium yesterday, political leaders and senior government officers said Cde Mathuthu will be remembered for spearheading developmental projects that lifted Lupane into a town and provincial capital.

They said the province had been “orphaned” without Cde Mathuthu, whom they described as a unifier, hard worker, mother and humble leader.

They said she relocated to Lupane from Bulawayo at a time when other senior government officials and some civil servants refused to do so citing lack of accommodation and poor living conditions.

Ms Dlamini said she owes her success to Cde Mathuthu’s mentorship and humble character.

“I started working with her in 2005 when I became PA for the province and we were together when she was Governor between 2007 and 2013. She sacrificed the comfort of Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo and saw it fit to relocate to Lupane where we shared a small office.

“All she wanted was development and we saw this in her efforts to have Lupane State University, Bubi-Lupane Dam and Elitsheni Government Complex which are the three projects that she started and are complete today. We lost a fighter who wanted to see our province develop and we are happy that she was declared a national heroine,” she said.

The Minister of State for Matabeleland North Cde Mathema paid tribute to her predecessor saying her vision should live on in the province.

“As we are all aware, our former Governor and Minister of State Cde Mathuthu who was Central Committee and Politburo member is no more and she has been declared a national war heroine.

“We are together with the Mathuthu family as she was one of heroines of the liberation struggle and one of few who after independence continued working for the party and government,” said Cde Mathema.

Kusile Rural District Council Chief executive Mr Christopher Chuma said Lupane grew into a town due to Cde Mathuthu’s efforts.

“I speak on behalf of all local authorities and this is great loss to us all because when she used to chair meetings she would never segregate anyone on political party lines. She led us in a motherly manner, we would eat together without her showing any bossy character,” he said.

“She did a lot for the district and was instrumental in positioning Lupane into what it is today with Lupane State University, Bubi-Lupane Dam, and the passport office among other developments she brought.”

Zanu-PF Women’s League Provincial chair Cde Medeline Bhebhe described Cde Mathuthu as a God-fearing individual who always wanted women to be empowered through projects and senior positions in the party.

“Our hearts are heavy because we lost a mother who inspired us all by her sacrifice to stay in Lupane when everyone preferred the comfort of Bulawayo,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Chief Mabhikwa who said Cde Mathuthu was not only a mother to her family but the whole province.  The province is thankful to Zanu-PF Politburo for according her a national heroine status, said provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo.

@ncubeleon