Online Reporter
Peter Matika, Sunday News Reporter
THE widow of the late national hero and Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) Commander, Rodgers Alfred Nikita Mangena, Mrs Sikhubekiso Madeya-Mangena, was laid to rest yesterday at the Bulawayo Provincial Heroes’ Acre in Nkulumane suburb.
Hundreds of mourners, among them Government officials, service chiefs, Zanu-PF Politburo members, war veterans and ordinary citizens, gathered at the shrine to pay their final respects to Mrs Madeya-Mangena, who died last Sunday at her Manningdale home in Bulawayo.
She was 69.
In a graveside eulogy read on his behalf by Zanu-PF Secretary-General Dr Obert Mpofu, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga described Mrs Madeya-Mangena as a woman of courage and insight, who played a significant role in the country’s liberation struggle.
He said Mrs Madeya-Mangena was part of a remarkable generation of courageous women, who stood resolutely beside their spouses during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
“These women bore not only the weight of personal sacrifice, but also the collective hopes of a nation yearning for freedom from a brutal settler regime that had institutionalised racial segregation and brought untold suffering to our people,” said Vice-President Chiwenga.
He noted that, after marrying a man wholly devoted to the liberation of his homeland, Mrs Madeya-Mangena found herself living in exile in Chilenje, Zambia, alongside other icons of the struggle, including the late Cde Herbert Chitepo.
“Despite the harsh conditions of life in exile and the constant absence of her husband, she displayed exceptional resilience and strength. She embraced the enormous responsibility of being the wife of a freedom fighter, often left alone, yet never defeated in spirit,” said the Vice-President.
He added that she fully understood the reality that her husband, the revered Cde Mangena, belonged not only to her and their children, but to the entire nation. Following the tragic death of Cde Mangena in 1978 in a landmine explosion in southern Zambia, Mrs Madeya-Mangena was widowed at a young age and shouldered the immense responsibility of raising their two children.
“Even amid this devastating loss, she remained devoted to raising her children in exile, surrounded by other liberation families, including those of former Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo, Jason Moyo, Steven Vuma, and her brother-in-law Sam Mfakazi,” he said.
Vice-President Chiwenga stated that although she did not carry a weapon, Mrs Madeya-Mangena played a vital role in resource mobilisation, working tirelessly to gather supplies and support for freedom fighters at the war front.
After her husband’s death, she was awarded a scholarship to study in the Soviet Union, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher.
“Even in the aftermath of a profound personal loss, her commitment to Zimbabwe’s liberation never wavered. She used her time abroad to advocate for and support the struggle, returning home in 1983 to serve her community in Bulawayo, educating young children with compassion and dedication,” said the Vice-President.
Mrs Madeya-Mangena is survived by her son, Lotshe, and several grandchildren.
Her late husband, Cde Mangena, was one of the pioneers of the armed liberation struggle and was reburied at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare on 11 August 1998. In 1971, following the reconstitution of ZAPU’s military wing into ZIPRA, he was appointed its Commander, with Jason Moyo as acting Commander-in-Chief.
Under his leadership, ZPRA transformed into a formidable and disciplined force.
In recognition of his legacy, the Government named the cantonment housing the Zimbabwe National Defence University and other institutions in his honour — Rodgers Alfred Nikita Mangena Barracks.
