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Nqobile Tshili in Bulawayo and Nyemudzai Kakore in Harare
The body of national heroine Gogo Maria Msika was yesterday flown to her rural home in Chiweshe in Mashonaland Central Province and later Bulawayo to bid her family and thousands of Zimbabweans farewell ahead of her burial at the National Heroes’ Acre tomorrow.

Gogo Msika, who was the widow of national hero and former Vice President Joseph Msika died last Friday aged 89 at her Highlands home in Harare.

Her body was airlifted from Defence Forces Funeral Parlour at One Commando Regiment in the afternoon accompanied by her relatives after a prayer and body viewing was conducted by Chaplain-General of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Colonel Joseph Nyakudya.

From One Commando, the body was first taken to Kanyemba Secondary School in Chiweshe by two Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopters, one with the national heroine’s casket and the other with her close relatives.

Upon arrival, the body then proceeded by road to the Msika homestead at Nyariri Village for a brief ceremony.

After the ceremony, the body returned to Harare and was flown to Bulawayo where it lay in state.

Today, there will be a funeral service at the Bulawayo City Hall before the body is airlifted back to Harare this afternoon.

Upon arrival at One Commando, the body will then proceed to St Mary’s Anglican Church in Highlands for a church service and will then proceed to her home in the same suburb where it will lie in state at Number 11 Nigel Lane, ahead of tomorrow’s burial.

Speaking to journalists at One Commando, her nephew and family spokesperson Mr Jonathan Mapfumo thanked Government for according Gogo Msika the highest honour as she was one of the pioneers to champion women empowerment by setting up trading sites in Bulawayo where women could sell their wares.

Mr Mapfumo said Gogo Msika was a loving mother who sacrificed for both her biological children and the entire clan.

“We are deeply indebted to Government and the party Zanu-PF for unanimously conferring the national heroine status to our matriarch, mother and Mbuya Maria Msika. We are also in no doubt at all that in her own standing, she deserved this status,” he said.

“If one looks at her history, it is a history littered with self-sacrifice towards the struggle for independence of this country. We are also happy with the manner in which Government consistently looked after her during her long tenure of illness.

“She had provisions of her medical attendance everyday and for that, we are deeply indebted to Government. We are also indebted to the staff that attended to her. As a token of appreciation, the family has set aside a cow for the staff that looked after our mother.”

Gogo Msika was declared national heroine on Monday and will join her husband who died in 2009, at the National Heroes’ Acre.

Her body arrived in Bulawayo last night and lay in state at the Msika family home in Matsheumhlope suburb in preparation for today’s farewell funeral service.

Government and Zanu-PF officials, among others, attended a funeral wake which was held at the Matsheumhlope house.

Among those who were at the wake was Minister of State for Provincial affairs in Bulawayo Cde Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, Bulawayo Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Cde Dennis Ndlovu and Politburo member Cde Absolom Sikhosana.

Cde Moyo said that the church service will be held at the City Hall at 9:30AM.

Cde Sikhosana said it was saddening that the pioneers of the liberation struggle were dying in numbers.

He said Gogo Msika among others instilled a sense of belief among the young people to fight for the liberation of the country at a time when no one thought it possible.

“I would like to express our deepest condolences on the departure of uGogo Msika. It’s important to understand that we are gathered here for Gogo as a national heroine because of the bravery that she exhibited during very difficult times, when many could not stand and be counted in the fight for the liberation of this country,” he said.

“What is even more worrying is that she is part of the pioneers who are leaving us very fast indeed. She is part of the pioneers who made immense sacrifices when some people did not even believe that the struggle would succeed.”

Cde Sikhosana said it will be a shame for the nation not to recognise and honour the work that was done by people like Gogo Msika.

“They started the revolution when a lot of people didn’t believe that a white person could be dislodged. A white person was like God in this country. But she is among the people who were young at that time who said if it means me losing my life let it be, for the liberation emancipation and freedom of our people,” said Cde Sikhosana.

Gogo Msika is survived by three children, Lucia, Shelton and Maxwell, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.