admin
Africa last Friday arrived yesterday and will be buried today in Harare.
Party spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said: “The minister will be buried tomorrow (today) at Warren Hills Cemetery. His body will lie in state at his residence in Mount Pleasant before it is taken for burial,” said Mr Mwonzora.
He will be buried today at the Warren Hills at 10:30am. Among the mourners who attended a church service at his Mount Pleasant home in Harare were Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, his two deputies Prof Arthur Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe and several Cabinet ministers. Also present was the Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Mike Bimha.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission has sent a condolence message to the Muko-noweshuro family.
“The Chairman, Commissioners, the Secretary and Staff of the PSC express their heartfelt condolences on the untimely passing on of the Minister of Public Service, Prof Mukonoweshuro on Friday morning. When the minister became ill and was hospitalised in South Africa three weeks ago, our prayers and hopes were for a speedy recovery and an early return home and to the office. Sadly, this was not to be and today, the Public Service has lost a man who worked tirelessly too.”
The PSC described the minister as a dedicated academic and Government minister.
“Today what moves through us is a silence, quite sadness, a longing for one more day, one more day.
“We may not understand why he left this earth so soon, or why he left before we were ready to say goodbye, but little, we begin to remember not just that he passed on, but that he lived. And that his life gave us memories too significant to forget,” said the PSC.
“To the family we say while it is currently difficult to see beyond the sorrow, may look back in memory help comfort you tomorrow.”
President Mugabe has since sent his condolence message, saying the minister, who was also Gutu South MP, will be accorded a State-assisted funeral.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said he had granted the minister leave to seek medical attention in South Africa hoping that he would quickly recover.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai described Minister Mukonoweshuro as a dedicated member of the MDC-T and Government.
Minister Mukonoweshuro was born on June 20, 1953 in Gutu. He did his primary education education at Shumba Primary School and went to Zimuto High School for secondary education.
He did his A Level at Thekwane High School before enrolling at the University of Zimbabwe for a degree in political science.
Minister Mukonoweshuro got a scholarship to study in Sierra Leone and furthered his studies in the United Kingdom.
He became a lecturer and became a Dean of Social Studies at the UZ. The minister joined the MDC in 1999 where he was secretary for international affairs and was a special adviser to Mr Tsvangirai.
In 2008, he became MP for Gutu South and was subsequently appointed Minister of Public Service in the inclusive Government.
Online Reporter