Covid-19 claims more influential Zimbabweans

COVID-19 continues to take its toll on influential Zimbabweans following the deaths of Justice Clement Phiri, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe(CCZ) boss Rosemary Siyachitema and politician Tendai Savanhu after complications from the disease.

High Court judge Phiri succumbed to Covid-19-related complications on Sunday night at his home in Marondera. His family also tested positive for coronavirus, but had since recovered. He was appointed to the High Court bench in September 2015 along with four other judges; Justice Jester Helena Charewa, Justice Tawanda Chitapi, Justice Davison Foroma, Justice Nyaradzo Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa and Justice Edith Kuda Mushore.

In a statement yesterday, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said Phiri was an astute, but unassuming judge and that the Zimbabwean judiciary was poorer without him.

"He will be fondly remembered for his immense contribution to the development of the Zimbabwean jurisprudence in the 34 years he was part of the justice delivery system," Malaba said yesterday. Phiri was born in June 1960. He studied law at the University of Zimbabwe. After completing his legal studies, he briefly worked in the Local Government ministry before going into private practice as a legal practitioner in 1986.

In 2004, he became an advocate, a position he held until he was appointed a judge of the High Court on September 16, 2015. He was among the group of 46 candidates, who participated in the first ever public interviews for judges
in Zimbabwe under the 2013 Constitution.

On her part, Siyachitema was the CCZ executive director at the time of her demise in Harare yesterday morning. Siyachitema, who rose to the CCZ top post in 2004, was largely credited for championing consumer rights and last
year was one of the people who successfully campaigned for the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act.

As for Savanhu, his political career took many twists and turns before he was eventually voted to be Mbare's legislator on a Zanu-PF ticket in 2013 and briefly served as the deputy minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement. After having been part of the Zanu-PF establishment for a long period, Savanhu was purged from the ruling party on allegations of fanning factionalism in 2014.

He passed away on Sunday. Funeral arrangements for Phiri, Siyachitema and Savanhu were yet to be announced at  the time of going to print last night. The lethal virus last month claimed the lives of Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo, his Transport counterpart Joel Matiza and Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba among other prominent figures.