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George Maponga in Mwenezi

VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi has urged Zimbabweans to uphold unity and always work to uplift each other in bad and good times if the nation is to overcome its challenges. 

He was speaking at the Zindari homestead in Mwenezi yesterday during the burial of Shumirai Moyo, the eldest daughter of Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General, Ambassador Isaac Moyo. 

Shumirai died on April 3, in Dublin, Ireland, after a short illness. 

She was 41.

Last Friday, President Mnangagwa visited the Moyo family home in Harare where he paid his condolences and described her as a “patriot”.

He then announced that he would dispatch VP Mohadi to represent him at Shumirai’s burial.

Addressing mourners yesterday, VP Mohadi said Shumirai’s death had robbed the nation of a young soul that left behind a legacy of compassion, kindness and love.

“It is painful that today we are gathered to bury a young soul and what makes everything more painful is that it should be the young who bury the old not vice versa,” he said. 

“However, I want to highlight the point that all of us will at some point meet death, which is an inevitable part of life. 

“Shumirai leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion and kindness and we should draw from that legacy. In our communities and as a whole nation, we must cherish unity and always work to uplift each other not only in bad times like this, but also in good times.”

VP Mohadi reminded Zimbabweans that as citizens of a Christian nation, they should always have a life that conforms with God’s expectations.

He also told the Moyo family that Shumirai’s death was not theirs alone, but a loss for the whole nation.

“Always count on our support on anything because we are standing with you at a time of such a huge loss in your family,” he said.

VP Mohadi urged Ambassador Moyo and his family to be strong in the wake of the untimely death of their daughter, saying the huge crowd that attended her burial and support from different quarters within and outside the country showed they were not alone in mourning.

Minister State of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, described Shumirai’s death as a huge loss to the province and the nation at large.

Ambassador Moyo paid tribute to the country’s political leadership for joining his family in mourning the death of his daughter.

He also appreciated the solidarity extended by other Directors-General of Intelligence from the SADC region, who sent their condolence messages together with Zimbabweans from different walks of life for their support.

He chronicled Shumirai’s illness from the time she fell sick while at work to the time when she spent six weeks in the intensive care unit until she passed on.

“One thing that I want to tell you about my daughter is also that she was Zanu PF to the core and also that at one time, we faced some hitches to repatriate her body back home but we managed to overcome it and brought her home,” said Ambassador Moyo.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association president, Mr Enock Dongo, led nurses in reciting the nurses’ pledge before Shumirai’s body was lowered into the grave in honour of her work as a professional in the field.

The burial was attended by senior Government officials and business leaders including, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet Lovemore Matuke, Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, Police Commissioner Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, and Pan-African Parliament president Chief Fortune Charumbira.