adminPamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE widow to national hero and the country’s first black physician, Dr Samuel Tichafa Parirenyatwa, Emily Maliwane Khumalo has died.
Khumalo, who is Health and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa’s mother, died yesterday at Harare’s Parirenyatwa Hospital which is named after her late husband who was the first Zapu deputy president and a close associate of the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo.
Her grandson Mcini Khumalo yesterday said his grandmother who was 86 years old passed away following a long battle with diabetes.
“She had been battling with diabetes for a long time and one of her toes was amputated about a month ago. Her condition got worse until her left leg was also amputated two weeks ago,” said Mcini.
“While we thought she was recovering, her condition suddenly changed and deteriorated and she died this morning.”
He said his grandmother, who was supposed to celebrate her 86th birthday yesterday, was a great woman who always smiled and loved her family.
According to Mcini, Khumalo was born in Manxeleni, Ndabazinduna, where she grew up.
She trained as a nurse before joining the Bulawayo City Council.
In 1968 she received a long service award from the municipality after serving it for 15 years as a nurse.
From council, she was employed by government and worked at Thorngrove Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) before retiring in 1994.
A staunch member of the Anglican Church, Khumalo is survived by five children, David, Mavis, Juliet, Barbara and Christopher. She also leaves behind 18 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A funeral service for Khumalo will be held at St Margarets Church in Northend tomorrow before she is buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery at 12.30PM.
Mourners are gathered at 8 Eakins Avenue, Romney Park in Bulawayo.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter