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Ellah Mukwati Herald Correspondent
Modelling guru Mrs Vassiliki Babaletakis Divaris, better known as Kiki Divaris, who died on Saturday will be buried tomorrow at Pioneer Cemetery in Harare. Kiki, who died at the age of 90, will get a State-assisted funeral.
Her body will be taken to her family home today in Alexandra Park where a church service and a vigil will be held.
zanu-pf spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said Kiki left a legacy of humanity.
“Kiki offered a lot of services to the nation and I hope many ladies will emulate her life. She played a role in promoting the Miss Zimbabwe pageant and other charity works,” he said.
“She was a very versatile lady who was full of life and very pleasant to many people. Kiki was not racist and treated everyone equally regardless of skin colour.”
At the time of her death, Kiki was the patron of Miss Zimbabwe Trust, after she gave the reigns of running Zimbabwe’s biggest pageant to Mrs Marry Chiwenga, a former model.
Kiki came into the public arena shortly after independence as a renowned designer of the dress won by the first black Miss Zimbabwe. She became President of the Greek Hellenic Ladies’ Association and worked closely with the late First Lady Amai Sally Mugabe, before becoming chair of the Child Survival and Development Foundation, whose patron was President Mugabe.
Kiki was born in Greece and is survived by two sons, two grandchildren and two great grand children.
In an interview, chairperson of the Miss Zimbabwe Trust Mrs Chiwenga, said she was hurt by Kiki’s death.
“Kiki taught me everything I know and no one could fit into her shoes. I can place her among Princess Diana and Mother Theresa. She had motherly love not only to me but to everyone,” she said. “She wanted to promote the girl child in Zimbabwe and Africa; she did not look at the colour of the skin. Kiki was a Greek and Zimbabwean at heart. She lived a Zimbabwean life and died a Zimbabwean,” she said.
Online Reporter