News / National
Nathan Shamuyarira's widow dies
02 Jan 2021 at 15:00hrs | Views
Dorothy Shamuyarira, the wife of the late national hero, Dr Nathan Shamuyarira, has died at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
Dora, as her husband affectionately called her, was a nurse by profession at the same hospital but retired decades ago.
According to the source, Hopewell Chino'ono, Dora succumbed to COVID-19.
Mrs Shamuyarira being the latest high profile person to succumb to the respiratory illness on Saturday after Impala Car Hire boss Thompson Dondo who also fell victim of the virus.
Nathan Shamuyarira was a veteran nationalist, former minister, Zanu-PF politburo member and one of Zimbabwe's first black journalists whose defence of the Gukurahundi massacres earned him enemies from victims and families of people impacted by the genocide.
Shamuyarira resigned from government in 2000 and active politics in 2010.
He is credited as one of the few Zanu-PF officials to resign from office. Most die in office even when they are incapacitated.
Shamuyarira was the country's first information minister after independence. He held the portfolio during the Gukurahundi massacre, which took place during a period of civil unrest in the 1980s when the North Korean-trained soldiers from the Fifth Brigade allegedly massacred about 20 000 civilians in the Matabeleland and Midlands regions. The massacres only stopped with the Unity Accord.
Shamuyarira ignited a political storm and attracted the wrath of many people, including the late Zanu-PF national chairman John Nkomo and former Zapu members, when he defended the Gukurahundi massacres in October 2006. He suggested that President Robert Mugabe and former Cabinet minister Edison Zvobgo were wrong to apologise for the Fifth Brigade massacres, as the soldiers were working in the interest of the nation. Mugabe had said Gukurahundi was a regrettable "moment of madness".
Shamuyarira's journalism career started in 1953, when African Newspapers Limited employed him as a cub reporter. He rose to editor-in-chief of African Newspapers from 1959 to 1962. He then left journalism to join the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu), which was recruiting black intellectuals to spearhead the struggle for independence.
At independence he was minister of information. He later became minister of foreign affairs.
Dora, as her husband affectionately called her, was a nurse by profession at the same hospital but retired decades ago.
According to the source, Hopewell Chino'ono, Dora succumbed to COVID-19.
Mrs Shamuyarira being the latest high profile person to succumb to the respiratory illness on Saturday after Impala Car Hire boss Thompson Dondo who also fell victim of the virus.
Dorothy Shamuyarira, the wife of the late national hero, Dr Nathan Shamuyarira, has died from Covid-19 at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
— Hopewell Chin'ono #TheGoatWantsItsCameraBack (@daddyhope) January 2, 2021
Dora, as her husband affectionately called her, was a nurse by profession at the same hospital but retired decades ago.
May her soul Rest In Peace! pic.twitter.com/8vQi3xmBJ1
Nathan Shamuyarira was a veteran nationalist, former minister, Zanu-PF politburo member and one of Zimbabwe's first black journalists whose defence of the Gukurahundi massacres earned him enemies from victims and families of people impacted by the genocide.
He is credited as one of the few Zanu-PF officials to resign from office. Most die in office even when they are incapacitated.
Shamuyarira was the country's first information minister after independence. He held the portfolio during the Gukurahundi massacre, which took place during a period of civil unrest in the 1980s when the North Korean-trained soldiers from the Fifth Brigade allegedly massacred about 20 000 civilians in the Matabeleland and Midlands regions. The massacres only stopped with the Unity Accord.
Shamuyarira ignited a political storm and attracted the wrath of many people, including the late Zanu-PF national chairman John Nkomo and former Zapu members, when he defended the Gukurahundi massacres in October 2006. He suggested that President Robert Mugabe and former Cabinet minister Edison Zvobgo were wrong to apologise for the Fifth Brigade massacres, as the soldiers were working in the interest of the nation. Mugabe had said Gukurahundi was a regrettable "moment of madness".
Shamuyarira's journalism career started in 1953, when African Newspapers Limited employed him as a cub reporter. He rose to editor-in-chief of African Newspapers from 1959 to 1962. He then left journalism to join the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu), which was recruiting black intellectuals to spearhead the struggle for independence.
At independence he was minister of information. He later became minister of foreign affairs.
Source - Twitter
