Gwaradzimba's death opens a can of worms

On the 15th January 2021 Zimbabwe lost another politician  Ellen Gwaradzimba who was a Zimbabwean politician and Zanu-PF member. At the time of her death, she was Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister.

She had a doctorate,She served as a principal Lecturer at Mutare Polytechnic, Dean of Students at Africa University and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.  She succumbed to COVID 19 complications.  

 Few minutes after her death a journalist Simba Chikanza called The Minister of Defense Opah Zvipange Rushesha Muchinguri Kashiri to confirm the demise.
 
Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri was born Oppah Chamu Zvipange Muchinguri on the 14th December 1958.

Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri is the current Minister of Defence and War Veterans. She is the former Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education and is the National chairperson of ZANU PF.

Muchinguri is a member of Central Committee and Politburo representing Manicaland Province. She is also a Member of Parliament for Mutasa Central Constituency. On the 15th of December 2017, she was appointed the National Chairperson for the Zanu-PF party , she became the first woman to assume that position. Simba called Madam Kashiri before she had even waken from the shock of the loss of her dear friend her niece and her colleague. When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. Then, without her knowledge, a supposedly well meaning person  called. Only that this person was Simba Chikanza. Simba is a very forceful journalist. He has always been very professional. One thing I came to like about Simba is that he means what he says and does what he means. Of all the things I agree with Simba I disagree with his insensitivity in his call of shame to Minister Muchinguri.  Social media was awash with the touching voice of the Brocken Oppah. She cried her heart out grieving for the loss of Ellen Gwarazimba. Humanity has taught us to grieve with those who are grieving. But Simba did not only call to comfort the grieving but he called with one sole aim of catching her on the wrong lip. Simba recorded the weeping poor woman and flashed the grief on social media.  All thinking people were devastated, crushed, and felt that the private grieving of Mai Kashiri has been invaded. The publishing of such a grief filled moan was inhuman inconsiderate and surely not Zimbabwean neither is it African.  

At the time the grieving needed to be respected they had their control once again taken away from them. Her  control was snatched away once again, and it derailed humanity It was hurting to listen to the painful sobs from the Iron Lady. It is true that Simba left  Kashiri more than a little violated, almost as if someone had marched into her house and sent all of her clothes to Goodwill. Grief is a normal and natural process by which a person makes a healthy adjustment to any significant loss in his or her life. Any significant loss (the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a broken marriage, deterioration of health, a shattered dream) triggers the process.

When a person grieves so many things are said. Emotions are very high and people even blame God for the death itself. What people say as they grieve can not be put on the headline as representative of the policy of the state. It was mischief to create a sensational head line jeopardising the good relationship between Zimbabwe and its all weather friend.

We believe wholeheartedly in the sovereignty of God. Yet One sometimes elevate this attribute over others. When We do, we end up blaming God for what He does in our life, in other's lives, and in the world.

Thus, we realise we must trust in the goodness of God in order to trust in God's sovereign will in a way that pleases him. Otherwise we sinfully blame Him, as we know He controls the state of our health  and of loved ones.
we know He can change things, too – though He doesn't always.

We may not realize we blame God like this. Perhaps we respond to our circumstances by affirming God's sovereignty with our lips, but we don't believe in His goodness in our hearts. When we do this, we separate two characteristics of God – His sovereignty from His goodness. As a result, we paint a different picture of God than who he really is. Our God is a good God, yet He is sovereign over all things – even what seems bad.

When madam Muchinguri Kashiri poured her grief out it was a grief to a person she believed was family and she believed he meant good.  Her utterances were not meant for public consumption and indeed they were taken out of context.

Madam Muchinguri lamented the delays being done by ZIMBABWE's own scientists to come up with a vaccine which was home grown.  She never encouraged people to refuse to take a vaccine. She actually said there was no vaccine in Zimbabwe yet.  So the journalist put words in her mouth and said what about the vaccine which came with the VP. This was shameful in all languages. Taking advantage of the vulnerable.

Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri never said the Chinese people are to blame for experimenting with the deadly Coronavirus.
"Washaya mwana wangu washaya "meaning she is dead, my daughter is dead. "Mwana wangu washaya kani she is gone she is gone."  These were the words of a distraught woman.

"Takaedza kani takaedza" meaning we tried everything we really tried to help her get better. The Lord has laughed at us we tried everything….the children. What about the children? They have killed me (Ellen's death) has destroyed me. This has destroyed me. I am in pain, so much pain."

She was then interrupted by the journalist asking whether she was taking any medication herself.
"What? drink ginger? I am not sick. I am well. I am not sick. It's just people that are saying lies. They are lying. I am not sick. I am very well and healthy. They have said that I am sick but it's not true. They have said that I am sick four times and even suggested that I have died four times. But it's not true." She responded.

Madam Kashiri believed  that Simba was a genuine child comforting her mother. Remember Simba even pretended to Cry and this acting in the face of grief was diabolic.  But madam Kashiri went on to release her grief by spitting out the painful memories.

"Ok my children. I suffered a lot with Ellen. I couldn't sleep while she was sick. The doctors talked to me everyday, together with the children. She was in pain she was in so much pain. She has let us down today. Hazvina mhosva…..
She took everything, all the medication…everything we tried. "

This is when the journalist asked about the Vaccine. Madam Kashiri was even shocked but she responded.

"Vaccine?
No there is no vaccine yet in the country. I will never take the vaccine. I will not take "your" vaccine, I will not take your vaccine unless if it's developed by our own people, Zimbabweans. If they develop our own vaccine. Why can't we also develop our own vaccine. Why should we take that which is developed by others? Why can't we also make our own vaccine? Let's develop our own." There was never any apportioning of blame to China or any other country.
 
In this painful audio published by Simba madam Oppah actually said
"We are trying our own, we are also trying our own that which we are developing with the help of the Chinese maybe it will be successful maybe it will be successful. I do not know."
So it is shocking to hear people allege that madam Oppah blamed the Chinese.

First lets clear a few things up. Life on earth is not predestined where God chose before the earth was created who would live, and when and how they would die. Fate and predestination are both false doctrines of Calvinism. Second, God did not make your loved one sick, neither did he kill him as a direct act. (Although God does chasten his children when the sin in various ways: Heb 12:4-14.) The fact is, some bad things happen by chance, others because of another's sin, or because of our own sin or carelessness. There is no mention of China in this case.

When someone blames God for the death of a loved one, friend or associate we must first understand that blaming God is as much of a question as it is a statement. Think about it...aren't they questioning as well as blaming God? They are really asking "why did You let this happen God?"

Grief can be such a brutal ambush on our soul (mind, will and emotions) that we respond out of anger. Anger often requires an outlet for the unsolicited anguish we feel. That's why some people punch walls, doors or sometimes even worse. When it comes to death the next stop for blame is often God as the outlet for pain and grief.

If Madam Kashiri blamed anyone which she did not do was out of anger and grief.

I've also known people who have blamed God for death and others who have said..."if there is a God, then why do so many bad things happen?" They forget (or maybe never knew) that the window to utopia closed the moment Eve picked the apple and Adam took a bite. But we grieve differently and it is unfair that we try to make news from the poor woman's grieving words.  Even God experienced a loss. He lost His son
So how tragic do you think it was for God to allow and watch His only Son die on a cross? I mean if God was going to intervene for anybody wouldn't it be for His own Son?

Perhaps God wants to show us that through the death of His own Son that life isn't about the the age of the deceased young or old. It's not about the bad things that happen, but it's about everlasting life. Unfortunately people die everyday and at every age and bad things will continue to happen. CORONA or no CORONA we will die we will moan and we will blame.

Maybe instead of blaming God we need to help people understand that through the death of His own Son (at the age of 33) God wants us all to realize the urgency for us to seek salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for He is the way, the truth and the life.

We all have or will experience loss. Even God experienced loss, but through the grace of salvation we have victory over death.

We must always remember that whenever we are in pain, we desire to find the source of our pain. Think of the last time you got sick. I'm guessing that, somewhere in the midst of your coughing and being achy and feverish, you wanted to know, "Where did I catch this bug?" You might have asked, "Who got me sick?"

This is not because knowing that it was that random co-worker who came to work sick or it was your second-grader who came home with the sniffles who was the culprit helps anything. It doesn't actually matter who it was who passed the sickness along to you. But we naturally want someone to blame. I want to know the immediate cause of this pain that I'm experiencing now. That way, my pain can be re-directed as anger and blame, and I will get some relief from that "re-direction." But it doesn't actually do anything.

This is the result of living in a world touched by sin, suffering, sickness and death.
If I can't find someone to blame for a bad thing, then the most obvious person to accuse is God. I mean, after all, he is God. If anything happens at all, it is ultimately his fault, isn't it? He created the world. He could change whatever he wants, however he wants, right? God is the easiest target of blame, especially when we secretly believe that God owes us something. But the hard truth is: God doesn't owe us anything.

  It is not selfish to grieve, it is not a loss of faith.  It is a normal reaction to a devastating situation that can co-exist with the comfort of one's faith and spirituality. . Death is a fact of life. Charles Heston once observed, "The world is a tough place. You're never going to get out of it alive." His comment is scripturally based, for we know, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

Clearly the easiest place to lay the blame, point the finger, or direct our anger and defiance is at God.  He does not strike us dead for doing so or yell back.  We generally do not see or experience any repercussions from such an affront to His character.  The truth is most people who blame God do not know Him and many do not really even believe in Him to begin with.  They just need someone or something to blame because they are profoundly overwhelmed and hurt.  God understands that.

So CHINA has been getting accusations from everywhere and it has kept its cool.
As our all whether friend China will not be disturbed by the social media reports. Zimbabwe is grateful to China for the assistance it gives us. China stood by us in horrible times and in good times.

Madam Oppah R Z MKashiri is a seasoned politician. She will never will fully  accuse China. Actually she looks up to China to help Zimbabwe to produce its own vaccination. Like a true leader Oppah said I would rather die, I will wait for our own home grown medication. To that resolution Oppah is a true patriot a true Zimbabwean.

But to those who continue losing loved ones I can only say. Lets put our faith in God. When God comes again as he promised

"There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  

Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk