Former Zimpapers staffer dies

Vusumuzi Dube

FORMER Zimpapers staffer, Mrs Thenjiwe Dube has died.

She was 64.

Mrs Dube (nee Mdlongwa), who had since become an avid farmer, served the Zimpapers Bulawayo branch for 32 years before her retirement in March 2015.

She died on Wednesday morning at a private hospital in Bulawayo due to an infection in the stomach.

Mrs Dube rose through the ranks from the position of a typist to become the Sunday News Editor’s secretary, a position she held until her retirement.

Her husband, Mr Adam Bango Dube described his wife as a hard worker who was always in the forefront of developing her community.

“This is a great loss for us as a family and the community at large. She was a wonderful woman; she was part of a lot of community organisations. She was a church leader and treasurer of her Roman Catholic diocese,” said Mr Dube.

He said his wife was also a mentor of the Bango family as she wanted to see the family united all the time. Mr Dube said the late Mrs Dube was that person who would actually be hurt if a family member did not toe the line hence she always led by example.

“She was one person who would smile every time even when chips were down,” he said.

Mr Dube said his late wife appreciated the importance of education and was always pushing that everyone, including herself get some form of qualification.

“When I married her, she did not have any significant academic qualifications. She studied while she was raising our children. She completed her Ordinary level in three years, went on to complete her Advanced level. She then went to university and did her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Studies and also a post-graduate degree in Development Studies,” he said.

Mr Dube said the late Mrs Dube always encouraged him and their children to work hard to achieve in life.

“All our children are as a result of this encouragement, well educated and we actually have two PhD holders in the family, she was exemplary in all that she did,” he said.

He said after her retirement from Zimpapers, the late Mrs Dube concentrated on farming resulting in her turning their Newton West residence into a thriving horticulture farming business.

“I am so proud looking at what my wife achieved as a farmer, right now we have over 6 000 tomato plants, green vegetables and she had also started venturing into poultry. Just from half a hectare she was supplying vegetables to major supermarkets and companies, proving to everyone that they could be a farmer if they put their heart into it,” said Mr Dube.

He said his late wife did most of the work and had created employment for two men she worked with from dawn to dusk ensuring that her crops were okay.

“She even inspired her children to also like farming hence today we are celebrating her legacy,” said Mr Dube.

Mrs Dube is survived by her husband, three sons and a daughter as well as six grandchildren. She will be buried at Umvutshwa Park Cemetery on Saturday.

Mourners are gathered at Number 16A Cypress Drive, Newton West.