The late Cde Nokuthula Bokwe’s family thank President Mnangagwa

THE Bokwe and Mlambo families have thanked President Mnangagwa, for the State‑assisted funeral accorded to their mother and grandmother, the late Cde Nokuthula Agnes Mlambo-Bokwe.

Cde Bokwe, widow to national hero and liberation stalwart Cde Artwell Nelson Bokwe, died in her sleep on January 2, 2026, in Birmingham, United Kingdom, at the age of 78.

Her body arrived in Bulawayo on January 24 and lay in state at her home in Bellevue before burial on Monday at Lady Stanley Cemetery.

Her passing marked the end of a life devoted to community service, social welfare, and the upliftment of families left behind by Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.

In a letter addressed to Zanu-PF Secretary General, Advocate Jacod Mudenda, Noluthando Fikelepi Bokwe, speaking on behalf of the Bokwe and Mlambo families, conveyed their deep appreciation for the support extended by the Government of Zimbabwe.
“Your assistance, presence and moral support during this difficult time until the laying of the late Nokuthula Agnes Mlambo Bokwe and honouring and affording her a dignified and well-respected send‑off is greatly appreciated. Thank you for the state-assisted funeral and the financial assistance rendered in the repatriation and burial arrangements.”
“Your Excellency’s support not only eased the logistical challenges we faced but also gave our mother and grandmother the dignity and honour befitting her service to her family and her nation. Thanks, Noluthando Fikelepi Bokwe.”

The conferment of a State‑assisted funeral reflects a tradition upheld by the Government of Zimbabwe to recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to the country’s liberation heritage and national life.

In recent years, this honour has been extended to other notable Zimbabweans as a mark of national respect and unity.

Born on January 16, 1947, in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Cde Bokwe’s journey into social activism began at an early age. After completing her primary and secondary education in Eswatini, she moved to Zambia in 1965 to enrol at the University of Zambia, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work in 1967. It was during her university years that she met her husband, the late Cde Artwell Bokwe, in 1966.

The couple were blessed with their first son, Zwelinzima Daluxolo Bokwe, who passed away on March 9, 2005. While in exile in Zambia, Cde Bokwe worked as a social worker at Oppenheimer Hospital, supporting her husband, who was then a key figure in the armed struggle for Zimbabwe’s liberation.

The couple married in 1975 and were later blessed with their second son, Sonwabo David Bokwe.

Following Zimbabwe’s independence, Cde Bokwe returned home, although the homecoming was marked by deep personal tragedy. Her daughter, Noluthando, was born in February 1981, just a month after the death of Cde Artwell Bokwe on January 24, 1981.

In Zimbabwe, Cde Bokwe became a pillar of the Bulawayo community, working initially as a social worker at Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts before joining the Department of Social Services. She served as a District Social Welfare Officer at the Fort Street and Tredgold Building offices in Bulawayo, before later heading the Gweru office until her retirement from public service in 2000.

Deeply committed to the plight of those left in the shadows of the liberation struggle, Cde Bokwe founded the Widows Association in Matabeleland.

Working alongside widows of other fallen liberation stalwarts, including the late Lookout Masuku, Lazarus Nkala and Njini Ntutha, she tirelessly campaigned for the recognition of heroes’ widows and successfully mobilised funding for their upkeep and for the education of their children.

In 2000, Cde Bokwe relocated to the United Kingdom, where she continued her service to humanity as a Senior Social Worker with Birmingham City Council for 18 years, retiring in 2018.